Phaser Ball Demo

Even if they are old and very basic, games like Tetris, Snake, and Bejeweled can still get millions of people addicted around the world, thanks to their top-notch gameplay mechanics that never really get old. Another great title that managed to do the same back in its day was Arkanoid, although it still has plenty of clones even today, including the subject of this review.

Phaser Ball does not even try to mask it too much, since it is basically Arkanoid with a few changed elements to make gamers curious. However, the basic principle is the same and you probably wouldn’t be able to tell the difference from the first few seconds. You can observe the lack of polishing, on the other hand, which is usually the mark of an indie production with not a lot of time or patience for details.

In essence, Phaser Ball challenges you to try and destroy every colored block on the screen using a bouncy ball, which must be kept from falling into the pit as well. Unlike in Arkanoid where you used some kind of paddle, the platform used to catch the ball is a flying saucer of sorts, probably to make the atmosphere feel more relaxed and friendly with beginners.

A large number of stages are available for you to try out, each one of which comes with the blocks arranged in a certain pattern. Speaking of which, there are multiple types of blocks as well, including invisible ones that can get you into a lot of trouble if you are not careful. Not only that, but some of them break slower than others, so you might need to hit them repeatedly to make them disappear.

A fraction of the blocks you manage to destroy leave a bonus behind, which must be caught in order to be used. Hence, some of them make your UFO bigger, while others multiply your score by a fixed value. However, not all the loot is beneficial, since there are traps out there as well, including shrink rays and the like.

In the end, Phaser Ball is not exactly revolutionary and it won’t win any prizes for originality, but one can have a lot of fun it anyway. Hence, if you enjoy Arkanoid-like games and you do not mind yet another remake, this might as well be on your list.