QB ON ACID'S REVIEW OF BALL BLAZING FANTASY ******************************************* Ball Blazing Fantasy is a game produced by Kentauri which pits you, a ball, against another ball, in an effort to either push yet another ball into your opponent's goal, or collect little "minerals", depending on which game mode you play. There is a backstory for this game, but who really needs a backstory for this kind of game! Anyways...the review! :) THE GOOD Although not overly flashy, the graphical representation of this game is very well-done. The movement is very fluid, and the game controls surprisingly well. It takes a lot of getting used to, but once you adjust to the controls, you're unstoppable. In a way, this reminds me of the old game Ballistix by Psygnosis. The enemies are...well, annoying, to be nice. OK OK, they're a pain in the ass. This game is quite challenging, to say the least, which will either keep it fresh for you, or just irritate the hell out of you. I found myself continuously "trying again", so it certainly has a good amount of replay value. The sounds and music are well-placed, and double congratulations are in order considering the fact that the author has no sound card. But what really surprised me is the double palette...a "normal" and a "bright" palette (all screenshots taken with the "bright" palette). That is REALLY helpful to those of us with dark monitors. The dual gameplay really pushes this game over the standard mark. Tournament mode is about shoving the ball into the opponent's goal without hitting a creature, and Quest mode involves running around various world, collecting "minerals" without falling in a hole, getting hit by a creature, or other such things. This variance in gameplay differs from a lot of games out there today, and is a very nice touch. THE BAD It was difficult finding anything bad about this game. As with many games out there today, the only real flaw (and this is grasping for straws), is the lack of proofreading of the text. I don't know about the rest of you, but improperly spelled sentences are just irritating. The only other thing that could be considered a downfall is the challenge. The game is VERY frustrating at times, and gamers in a hurry will find another game to dominate. However, it is designed to be challenging, and nothing beats the level of satisfaction when you conquer a game like this fair and square. THE UGLY If you haven't yet played Ball Blazing Fantasy, do yourself a favor and download it NOW. If you're into these kind of games, it will certainly not disappoint. This reviewer would argue that it's better than Ballistix, which I think it appears to be inspired by. Congratulations on a fine piece of software, Lachie! Review by Nekrophidius