Chris Trottier on Nostr: *[Antonball Deluxe](https://www.mobygames.com/game/167994/antonball-deluxe/)* has a ...
*[Antonball Deluxe](https://www.mobygames.com/game/167994/antonball-deluxe/)* has a premise so genius, I'm surprised nobody has thought about it till now.
Mix [Breakout](https://www.mobygames.com/game/9001/breakout/) with [Mario Bros.](https://www.mobygames.com/game/7301/mario-bros/), and you get Antonball. And just so we're clear, I'm not talking about Super Mario Bros. but the *original* Mario Bros.
As with all Breakout-type games, your goal is to clear out bricks. Once he breaks are cleared, you can move on to the next level.
The wrinkle to this game is that it's also a platformer, and you must hit the ball before it goes out of bounds, otherwise you lose a life. But wait! Baddies come down through the pipes, and if they touch you, you die. So you must either jump over them while hitting the ball, or you hit the ball at them to kill them.
If this sounds fun to you, that's because it is. The controls are highly tuned. You can hit the balls at varying speeds. You can also steer the ball in certain directions. Sometimes you get the gun power-up -- which has limited ammo -- so that you can shoot the bricks.
The graphics are really charming. It uses 2D pixel art graphics with sprites. They slightly remind me of an arcade game that's been ported to the Game Boy Advance.
In terms of soundtrack, I'm a big fan. It reminds me of something that would have come out for the SNES or GBA. The synths are just too advanced to be called "chiptune" but they're not advanced enough for what would have been termed "CD audio" back in the day.
On the Steam Deck, Antonball plays really well. It almost plays as though it was made for the Deck because it feels so well-tuned as a handheld game. I suspect this might be because Antonball was also released on the Nintendo Switch.
Summitsphere developed Antonball. So far, this is the only game they've released. I'm looking forward to what comes next from them.
From what I can tell, Antonball is one of the best reviewed games on Steam. Based on 555 reviews, it has a 97% positive rating -- which is pretty impressive.
For good reason, I recommend Antonball. But this is also a "must play" if you like early 80s arcade games. For that matter, if you like Breakout but want something slightly different, then Antonball is for you.
Antonball Deluxe sells for C$17.49 on Steam. This is a decent price for what you get: a unique arcade game based on an original concept. It also has a lot of content which will keep you entertained for hours.
This game takes two tired genres, mixes them together, and the result is something wholly creative.
Mix [Breakout](https://www.mobygames.com/game/9001/breakout/) with [Mario Bros.](https://www.mobygames.com/game/7301/mario-bros/), and you get Antonball. And just so we're clear, I'm not talking about Super Mario Bros. but the *original* Mario Bros.
As with all Breakout-type games, your goal is to clear out bricks. Once he breaks are cleared, you can move on to the next level.
The wrinkle to this game is that it's also a platformer, and you must hit the ball before it goes out of bounds, otherwise you lose a life. But wait! Baddies come down through the pipes, and if they touch you, you die. So you must either jump over them while hitting the ball, or you hit the ball at them to kill them.
If this sounds fun to you, that's because it is. The controls are highly tuned. You can hit the balls at varying speeds. You can also steer the ball in certain directions. Sometimes you get the gun power-up -- which has limited ammo -- so that you can shoot the bricks.
The graphics are really charming. It uses 2D pixel art graphics with sprites. They slightly remind me of an arcade game that's been ported to the Game Boy Advance.
In terms of soundtrack, I'm a big fan. It reminds me of something that would have come out for the SNES or GBA. The synths are just too advanced to be called "chiptune" but they're not advanced enough for what would have been termed "CD audio" back in the day.
On the Steam Deck, Antonball plays really well. It almost plays as though it was made for the Deck because it feels so well-tuned as a handheld game. I suspect this might be because Antonball was also released on the Nintendo Switch.
Summitsphere developed Antonball. So far, this is the only game they've released. I'm looking forward to what comes next from them.
From what I can tell, Antonball is one of the best reviewed games on Steam. Based on 555 reviews, it has a 97% positive rating -- which is pretty impressive.
For good reason, I recommend Antonball. But this is also a "must play" if you like early 80s arcade games. For that matter, if you like Breakout but want something slightly different, then Antonball is for you.
Antonball Deluxe sells for C$17.49 on Steam. This is a decent price for what you get: a unique arcade game based on an original concept. It also has a lot of content which will keep you entertained for hours.
This game takes two tired genres, mixes them together, and the result is something wholly creative.