PC Game Review: Magic Ball 3; Is Highly Addicting!

I love casual games that let you explore new environments. When I first played the games in the "Magic Ball" Series I quickly became addicted. I am not sure what it is about the game that is so addicting. However, I just found the game so enjoyable that when given the chance to review "Magic Ball 3", I simply could not turn it down!

"Magic Ball 3" was developed by Alawar Games. This game has several positives and a few negatives. The first thing I noticed was the improved graphics in "Magic Ball 3". While the other two games, "Magic Ball" and "Magic Ball 2" had a rogue 3D aspect to them, it looks as though Alawar Games worked on the graphics to improve them. That being said, you still have some minor graphic glitches (such as objects falling "through" each other), but overall a vast improvement. I do not think the minor glitches distracted from the fun I was having while playing this game, so this was a definite plus.

The object of the game is to use your bat to hit a ball into solid objects. It sort of reminds me of a Lego board and the ball is knocking the Lego pieces off the board. The closer you come to clearing the board the better. A story accompanies the clearing of the board, and you play the hero trying to save the world, which has been converted into these block like pictures. I found the story to be such a back draft of the game that I really didn't pay attention to it. The back story would not get me to play the game (or not) so it was a pointless addition to an already playable game.

As you play, you advance through four levels with four different themes. Each level has multiple rounds you must defeat in order to advance to the next level. With each level comes a new set of music to fit the theme. The first level is an Underwater/Pirate adventure. You have to hit a massive octopus, pirate ships, and other sea fare. The music has a Cabaret-Comedic sound to it, like something out of a Three Stooges movie.

The second level is more medieval. You have princesses, castles, luxurious gardens, and a theme you might hear at Ye Olde Fashioned Dance Competition in Germany. The third level is the old west and the music has an epic movie sound to it. Make sure to blast the dynamite on these levels. Otherwise, parts of the wall cannot be destroyed. Finally, the last level has a Dinosaur/Volcanic theme to it. The music, funnily enough, sounds like it is from the Victorian Renaissance.

As you play through the levels you can hit blocks that contain things to help or hinder you. Some of the good things to get are the spiked Billy club (this makes the ball destroy things easier), the spiked ball filled cannon (self-explanatory), the laser beam (destroys rows of blocks), the blue arrows (makes your bat bigger), the magnetic bat (lets your ball stick to the bat so you can reposition where it is shot), and the heart (it gives you an extra life). A new addition I liked was the big ball. This makes the ball huge and blocks are more easily destroyed. I also liked the split ball, which gives you multiple balls at once and destroys more blocks faster.

Things that can hinder you include the red inverted arrows (this makes the bat smaller), the skull/symbol of death (it's a bat killer so you die), the sticky string (makes it hard to control the ball, which attach to the bat with a string), and the wine/champagne bottle, which makes your ball drunk and moves erratically. Drunk ball was a new one on me and though funny to watch the first time, by the second or third it is bound to make you annoyed.

You can now choose from four different bat colors: green, blue, yellow, and red. This was cool but did not really have an effect on the game play. Other options you have are turning the sound off for both objects and the music. I found it hard to make the music soft without turning it completely off, but this was a minor complaint. My biggest complaint though was in the options menu. I could not make it so the game was not in full screen mode. I have a lot of people who message me on IM throughout the day so having them pause my game and pop up in my screen without being able to minimize my game was really annoying.

Going back to the basics, the install of the game was incredibly smooth. I didn't have any problems with the actual game acting up. This was by far one of the easiest game installs I have ever had for any type of casual game. I wish that the game company did not include extra icons on my desktop though. That is something I find annoying and a lot of game companies do it. However, I think this is my own neurotic OCD-nature and not something many would complain about.

The Bottom Line: Overall, I found "Magic Ball 3" to be an incredibly fun game to play. The game was easy to continue. With individual level selections, even if you die during a game, you can come back and play the level you were last on. Additionally, your game is automatically saved at the level where you stopped. Of course, there is nothing preventing you from going back to any level you have already won. With its highly addictive nature, I can see myself, though I have already defeated the game, going back and playing "Magic Ball 3" over and over again.