By Ned Jordan
Berzerk Ball is like playing in a golf longest drive competition, except that
in this case the "ball" is an overweight geek ala The Simpsons' Comic Book Guy.
You begin by selecting a character based on your preference for his or her
ratings in the three categories of power, accuracy, and control, and then it's
just you, the geek, and your weapon on the edge of a high cliff. Your swing is
controlled by tapping to stop two oscillating meters in succession, the first
determining the geek's launch angle and the second the power of your swing.
After you make your two taps, your character makes his or her swing, and the
geek is sent airborne. While in flight you have a little control over the geek
tapping the left edge of the screen will slow the geek's speed slightly while
tapping the right will give him a slight speed burst. The sky is filled with
bees and coins; hitting the former in flight will give the geek an altitude
burst while the latter will add money to your bank account which can later be
spent on new equipment with progressively better attribute boosts. The first
time the geek comes close to the ground you'll see your character racing along
the ground to catch up time a tap when the geek first hits the ground and you
get a bonus whack in, sending the geek skyward once more. Further afield there
are various objects on the ground such as cannons and giant robots that can be
used to re-launch the geek. The object is to get the geek as far as possible
before he finally comes to a thudding stop on the ground.
On the positive side, Berzerk Ball has a certain simplistic fun to it.
There's a small primal sense of satisfaction to be gained from nailing a perfect
hit and stringing together a few re-launches for a record-setting distance. The
game comes with a good number of achievements to shoot for and full Game Center
integration so that you can share your long shots with friends and rivals. The
geek also has an amusing repertoire of quips and insults delivered through
cartoon bubbles that add to the fun a bit, and the developers will even take
suggestions for new insults from gamers to add to the game in future updates.
On the downside, the game's pretty much a one-trick pony. If you're looking
for a game with any depth to it, you should look elsewhere. Also, the long shots
are more a factor of luck than they are of skill. There's no way to see what's
on the ground until the geek is just about to hit it, and by then it's too late
to try and adjust his speed so that he can land in a cannon or other type of
launcher.
As far as near mindless, simple games go, this is not a bad one. If you're
just looking for a simple diversion, it fits the bill nicely.
Final Rating: 79%
