Breaking Bricks

I was really looking forward to Strikeball 3. I play a lot of computer games and I'm constantly overwhelmed by the same few genres; I've probably spent more time playing hidden objects games than I have sleeping in the past few years. That's why it was so refreshing to fire this game up and look forward to some fast-paced, mindless destruction. Long story short: I wasn't disappointed!

This is a very simple process. Hit "start game" from the main menu, choose between a red, blue, or green paddle, choose your difficulty, and away you go! The difficulty settings were a really nice touch and something you don't see often. You can choose to play either normal or high, where your score is increased by 1.25, but so is your speed, making it slightly harder to control.

The Power of the Flipper

While there are plenty of upgrades for you to earn, the flipper is pretty powerful without them, too. As long as you don't have any weapons attached, you can use your ship's magnetic field. Just hold down the left mouse button to suck the ball in. This enables you to make swift, last-minute catches that you otherwise would have missed.

Upgrades

Upgrades are implemented in a very fun way. I was expecting to simply collect power-ups during the course of the game, like any other product. However, while you can collect some power-ups while playing, the bulk of your upgrades are purchased with stars you collect in each level.

Between stages, you'll be taken to the upgrades lab. This is where you can spend your stars; the amount of which you have is in the bottom left corner. Use them to buy traditional weapons like missile launchers, helpful behavioral attributes like crazy ball (which sends the ball spiraling off in odd directions), or purchase help from the outside, like energy waves that will surge through the level, destroying objects.

The upgrades lab is an excellent feature and is what really pushes this title over the top. I love earning things as I go, because it gives me a great incentive to play and allows me to look at my paddle and see how far I've come. It's a wonderful sense of accomplishment.

Stunning Environments

All of the stages in Strikeball 3 are beautifully rendered in 3D. Everything has a bright, cartoon vibe and all of the colors are bound to put a smile on your face. The stages have moving parts as well as static ones, which not only look great but really shake up the gameplay, too. The first stage has an indestructible train that drives around in a circle, blocking your path and making the game more challenging. Elements like this really bring the game to life.

A Smashing Good Time

Strikeball 3 is an absolute blast to play and that pun was very much intended. If you've strained your eyes and brain from playing too many puzzle and hidden objects games, then this is just what the doctor ordered. I can't remember the last time I had so much fun.