Sanicball

Internet memes are an unstoppable force nowadays, especially since there are multiple huge communities that are capable of propagating certain images and ideas by themselves. Hence, whether it’s Reddit or 4chan, it only takes a couple of hours for something to turn viral, which is why you should be careful when you share pictures you wouldn’t want to see plastered all over the Internet.

Sanicball is an arcade racing game that spawned from one of these memes, yet it managed to transform into a pretty decent game, somehow. In fact, you can have tons of fun with it if you enjoy arcade racing, and even more so if you are a fan of Sonic. On the other hand, things are pretty silly nonetheless, so you should expect anything too serious.

To begin with, there are multiple ball models/characters to choose from, all of which are spherized versions of Sonic’s friends. There’s no difference between them in regards to speed or special abilities, so it doesn’t matter which one you choose. In essence, the result of the race depends on your skill as a driver alone, since the only things you can do is steer, jump and apply the brakes.

The tracks are designed to encourage speed and recklessness, but they are also quite treacherous and deceiving. Hence, there’s always some kind of ramp or tight corner after a long straight line, but you can still trick the system if you have a bit of luck. Even so, it’s nice to have no limits when it comes to how to approach the tracks, because every player can choose his own favorite route.

As for the graphics, the game features simple, yet not at all ugly visual design, especially when it comes to the landscapes. Each track is only built out of a handful of textures, but the layout is always exciting, not to mention entertaining. The simple graphics allow almost anyone to give the game a go, especially if you keep the quality settings on low.

In the end, Sanicball may have started as a joke, but the final game is better than many other attempts at the genre. Hence, if you enjoy speed and you don’t back down from a challenge, this could easily keep you busy for a while.