Ball
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| Ball | |
| |
| Developer(s) | Nintendo |
|---|---|
| Publisher(s) | Nintendo |
| Release date(s) |  April 28, 1980 April 28, 1980
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| Genre(s) | Action |
| Mode(s) | Single player |
| Platform(s) | Game & Watch, DSiWare |
| Followed by | Flagman |
Ball is a Silver Game & Watch video game. It was the first ever Game & Watch video to be released, and was developed and published by Nintendo in 1980. In the game, you control a character who juggles balls. After you accumulate a certain amount of points, the amount of balls that the juggler will have to handle will grow. Dropping a ball will result in a game over. The game was released on DSiWare in 2009 for 200 Nintendo Points.
Nintendo manufactured an estimated 250,000 units worldwide. The contents within the box were the unit, LR43 batteries, an ACL slip, and batter stickers (the latter two only for the second edition of Ball).
[edit] Gameplay
In the game, you'll press left and right to make the jugglers' hands go in the corresponding direction. He'll juggle balls in the air, and when they start to go downwards, you'll want to situate the hands in the appropriate place to make sure that the ball and the hand connects. As you progress through the game, the amount of balls will increase, and you'll have to pay much more attention. In game A, each time the juggler juggles a ball, it'll reward you with 1 point, though in game B you'll get 10. The highest possible score is 9,999 for game A and, for an unknown reason, 9,990 for game B. The speed of the ball will be changed every 100 points.
[edit] Game & Watch Gallery versions
Ball has appeared in two of the Game & Watch Gallery games. Its first appearance was in the European exclusive Game Boy Gallery. In this game, the original version was present, though it had enhanced graphics. It later appeared in Game & Watch Gallery 2 for the Game Boy Color. This version featured the original version without the enhanced graphics, and a new version that contained Mario characters.
In Game & Watch Gallery 2, Ball is one of the hidden games. To get the original version, you'll have to acquire a combined total of 15 stars. Stars are obtained by getting good scores in the various Game & Watch games. To get the modernized version, you'll have to get 25 stars. In order to get all of the options within the modern version, you'll have to get 100 combined stars. In the modern mode, there are four different modes you can play, each harder than the previous. Each mode will have to playing as a different character juggling a variety of objects. The characters include:
- Yoshi: Yoshi's mode is unlocked automatically when you obtain 25 stars. In this mode Yoshi will juggle Yoshi Eggs. After every 100 points, bombs will start to come down. You are advised not to juggle them, as they'll result in a game over.
- Mario: Mario's mode is unlocked after the player has acquired a combined total of 35 stars. His mode is slightly harder than Yoshi's. Mario will juggle various items from the Mario universe in his mode. Instead of bombs, fireballs will come down every 100 points which you are not supposed to catch.
- Wario: Wario's mode is even harder than Mario's. To get his mode, you'll have to obtain 45 stars. After every 100 points, spiked balls will start to come down from above. You are advised not to touch them. Some of the balls you are juggling will move off screen. Those balls might come back down, and they might not.
- Bowser: Bowser's is the hardest version of the game available, and you'll have to earn 100 total stars in the game to unlock it. Bowser will juggle various objects that relate to his theme, such as Koopa Troopas and Goombas. Each of the balls juggles differently from one another. As in Yoshi's mode, bombs will rain down every 100 points.
[edit] Legacy
- In the Game Boy Camera, players can take a picture of themselves, plaster it on the face of the character in Ball, and play the game as themselves.
- In the Super Smash Bros. series, Mr. Game & Watch's throw attack allows him to juggle his opponent the same way he did in Ball.
- In WarioWare: Touched!, a minigame makes the player use the stylus to move Mr. Game & Watch's arms in a game of Ball.
- The Nintendo DS game DS Rakuhiki Jiten is a Japanese exclusive dictionary where when you type something in, you'll get a description. When the player types in GAME&WATCH, they'll be able to play a version of Ball, a neat cameo and the only sight of an actual game in the title.
- In Pikmin 2, one of the treasures salvaged is a copy of Ball.
