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It's Party Time!
Version 2.0 of Hamster Ball adds special "Party Games" that are a huge addition to the Hamster Ball gameplay. Two new modes are added: Party Race, where you and a friend can race each other on a course, and Rodent Rumble, where you and up to three friends can battle it out in one of 12 "Rumble Arenas."
The Party Race is a two-player split-screen race where you can challenge a friend on any of the courses you've unlocked in tournament mode. The addition of a human opponent really transforms the game, and adds true "Marble Madness Magic."
Split-Screen Party Race
The only nit I have to pick with the party race is that multiple keyboard settings aren't supported, which would be handy for MAME controllers — each player must have a unique controller (gamepad, mouse, or keyboard). Multiple gamepads are supported, however.
The Rodent Rumble is something entirely new, and a fantastic addition to this game. You can play against up to three other opponents, both real or computer-controlled. The object? Knock everyone else out of the arena!
Four Player "Rodent Rumble" Arenas!
There are twelve different arenas to rumble in, each style-matched to one of the twelve tournament courses. These rumble arenas are only unlocked for play when you find the hidden "easter egg" lock hidden in the tournament course. These easter eggs are invisible until you roll over them, so be prepared to lose a lot of hamsters while searching them out!
A Hidden "Easter Egg" Lock Releases a Rumble Arena
A four-player rumble arena is an incredibly fun party game, and the hidden locks in the regular tournament courses add replay value and a new challenge.
What’s Missing?
Version 2.0 of Hamster Ball (a free upgrade to version 1.0 owners) addresses a number of the issues I mentioned in version 1.0, but not all. The difficulty of the game is still a bit on the easy side, even at the hardest level. Also, I still would like to see more levels — twelve levels may seem a bit lean, even though the play life of these levels has been really extended a bit through the use of Time Trials, hidden easter eggs, Party Race, and the Mirror Tournament.
Conclusion
I love the little touches in this game, like the tar that sticks to the hamster’s ball after he hits a tar baby (which then makes that side of the ball “sticky” when you roll over that side of the ball), the ball launchers, and the little hamsters that pop up with an Olympic-like “10 point score” after you take the big ski jump on the expert level. The list goes on and on.
Not one of my better jumps...
The rendering of the hamster itself deserves recognition as he scurries, flips, and rolls in his plastic ball. The graphics are amazingly well detailed, and it adds an impressive bit of character to the game. You almost feel that there's a real creature there onscreen in the ball.
You'll never know which end is up in the Odd Race...
The music and sound effects deserve special attention as well, as they are top-notch. Once again with a game I found myself singing the tunes during the day, so the music passes my “hummability test.”
All of these touches show a level of polish and care not always seen in shareware games, and the attention to detail really makes Hamster Ball shine. In fact an actual arcade version of Hamster Ball is in the works, and I certainly feel it has the “right stuff” to succeed.
If you’re a fan of Marble Madness, you absolutely have to give this game a try. Since most of us will never get to see the never-released Marble Man sequel to Marble Madness, this is better. Hamster Ball is a fantastic game, and well worth the low $11.99 shareware fee. Highly recommended by RetroBlast!
Pros
- Great Graphics
- Smooth performance
- Innovative updates to classic gameplay
- Unique multi-player game modes
- Extremely addictive!
Cons
- Limited number of levels
- Extremely addictive!
