Hobby #5: Neverball

Sorry about the lack of updates recently. Today my hobby to show you is a little gem called Neverball. To describe this game, think Super Monkey Ball, but without the monkeys, and the bananas are coins. Something like that. It’s been forever since I’ve played one of those games.

On a red ring in outer space

Anyway, Neverball is a wonderful game, built off of an incredibly basic system (tilt the gameworld with a mouse, joypad, etc. to make the ball roll where you want, collect coins to unlock the goal, then make a mad dash for it before your time runs out). However simple it may sound, though, put it into practice and it can be unfathomably challenging with the right level design, and sometimes even brutal (like when you use many techniques you’ve learned on your own just to collect that last coin, but wait- the timer’s on 10 seconds and the goal’s all the way over there! You tilt the world like crazy, but you’ve tilted too much, and you miss the goal and fall off the edge! That was your last life, because you didn’t collect enough coins to get a 1-up, and now you must re-do the whole course again… Rather long example, eh? Well, it happens a lot). But this challenge and wonderful system combined with the 75 included levels makes for a seriously fun game, believe me.

You thought that would be the end of the post? No, not quite. Or should I say, Never! Neverputt, that is.

A comparatively simple Neverputt course

Neverputt is a game that comes along with the Neverball package, and uses the same engine, though instead of Super Monkey Ball-esque gameplay, it resembles the classic game of minigolf. The courses can be just as crazy though, but crazy at a slower pace. You use the mouse to aim a ball through the course and try to get it into the hole usually situated at the far side of the course. The game includes But you have go through many obstacles, usually, to get there, such as teleporters, walls, giant moving blocks, escelators of sorts and much more. These can sometimes get frustrating. At least it gives you time to think before you act, unlike its partner.

Pros for Neverball:
Very fun and addictive gameplay, as usual
Easy to learn, near-dang-impossible to master
Fast paced and action-y in a different way than most action games
Plenty of challenge
For both non-gamers and hardcore gamers

Cons for Neverball:
If you have trouble with motion sickness in general, you can’t play it. Period.
If you don’t think you have motion sickness, this game will make you re-think that
Can be extremely frustrating

Pros for Neverputt:
Easy to learn, somewhat tough to master, all it takes is getting your putt strength, distance and direction down, and even though that sounds easy, it’s not
Much variety in terms of obstacles and gameplay
Fun for anyone who likes golf (and it’s putt-putt version) even the slightest
If you can’t handle the usually rather fast, race-agaisnt-time gameplay, but want something similar, try this

Cons for Neverputt:
Definitely not for the impatient type, though I suppose the same could be said about Neverball because of the difficulty

Pros for both:
They’re open-source! Whee!

Overall rating for Neverball: 9/10 – Though it can be tough, it’s hooks you the moment you start with it’s immense fun
Overall rating for Neverputt: 7/10 – While it is a wonderful engine and game, it just lacks some of that necessary fun, but that’s probably just me
Overall rating for both: 9/10 (not an average) – They both run on a rich and addictive system

Download them both at http://icculus.org/neverball/#download - don’t worry, it says Neverball but it comes with Neverputt too