Console: iOS
Pros
* Simple Concept
* Plenty of objectives to complete
* 50 Levels add quite a bit of gameplay
Cons
* At times it can feel like you don’t have enough control over the ball
* Considering the amount of content in this game I really hoped to enjoy the gameplay more than I did
Puzzle games for me are quite tricky. How do you make a puzzle game entertaining? How do you keep things from getting repetitive? How do you separate one game from all the rest? These are the questions that always pop in my mind when I approach a new puzzle game. These few questions are the key points that decide whether or not a new puzzle game will achieve success or fall in the cracks only to be forgotten. Unfortunately these key points are this titles weaknesses. Whether or not this becomes just another game on the app store or a permanent icon on your iPhone will most likely come down to sheer luck.
Presentation : C
Graphics / Animation / Sound
This really isn’t Ball On A Wall Pocket’s strong point. It’s not that the game looks bad, there is just nothing extravagant about it. Lines are clean and all the elements are sharp. Colors can be vibrant, but the art style is very basic in nature so nothing really jumps out at you. Background colors change with every world, believe it or not this goes a long way with keeping the visual look appealing.
There is one aspect of the presentation that I absolutely can’t stand for more than a few minutes at a time and this would be the soundtrack. I really hate to criticize any aspect of a game, but there is something about the music in this one that really gets under my skin. I am unsure whether it’s the constant repetition or the close resemblance to bad elevator music that makes me cringe.
The saving grace for this title is that none of this really matters. You don’t play a game like this for its looks, most of the time the sound gets turned off on mobile games; and who really cares if a ball rolling on a few blocks is running at smooth 60 frames a second?
Single Player : C
Game mechanics / Length / difficulty
Does this game deliver on gameplay? Yes for the most part. There is quite a bit of content in this game from items to collect, 50 levels spanning 10 different worlds, and a ton of skins for the ball to unlock. Completing all of this will take quite a while. You may be able to move through all the levels in a few hours, but will you collect everything there is to earn? Absolutely not!
It is no secret that you will be playing this game for hours on end in order to earn everything, but will all that time feel worth it? This is where I have an issue with BOAWP. Let’s break down the gameplay…
The star of the game is a single ball that rolls with a simply physics system. Believe it or not the only control you have over the ball is a touch to jump system. You are actually able to perform double and triple jumps as well giving the ball quite a bit of time in the air if need be. The majority of the gameplay will come from the movement of the wall itself. The entire background consists of a grid, every block can be touched causing the section to be pulled out giving the ball some ground to roll on. Pulling and pushing blocks by touch will be frequent as orbs are presented in random spots and need to be touched by the ball. Once touched these orbs explode sending cogs bouncing around the screen that will also need to be collected. This creates diverse level design as every play through will most likely be different from the next.
Given the addition of other collectibles and the constant introduction of new obstacles there is a pretty good variety in each level. As you progress you will have to make your way through turrets, gravity changes, teleporters, and electrified floors. During any of this, if the ball falls off the wall or rolls out of the screen you lose giving you a fair challenge as you progress.
Multiplayer : F
Game mechanics / features / Online features
There is no multiplayer features in this game
Replay Value : B
Lasting appeal / Bonus Content / DLC
While all of this sounds interesting, I found myself just going through the motions and not actually enjoying myself. Does this game stand out enough from other puzzlers? I suppose so, there are quite a few elements that mix up gameplay and the fact that you are controlling the wall instead of the ball is a certain change. But that is also where this game fails to impress me. I never feel any excitement with playing through these levels. I could see me loading up the game if I am waiting in a doctor’s office to waste time, but I will most likely not say “I can’t wait to play Ball On A Wall Pocket”. Having said this, the game does have a lot of content and if this is your kind of puzzler it will keep you busy for quite a while. Just be sure to keep that mute button handy.
Overall : C
