Hyperballoid HD
Encyclopedia
Hyperballoid HD is an arcade
Arcade game
An arcade game is a coin-operated entertainment machine, usually installed in public businesses such as restaurants, bars, and amusement arcades. Most arcade games are video games, pinball machines, electro-mechanical games, redemption games, and merchandisers...

 puzzle game created by iSquared Games, released on December 10, 2009 on the PlayStation Store
PlayStation Store
The PlayStation Store is an online virtual market available to users of Sony's PlayStation 3 and PlayStation Portable game consoles via the PlayStation Network. The Store offers a range of downloadable content both for purchase and available free of charge. Available content includes full games,...

.

Gameplay

The game very much resembles earlier "brick-breaker" games such as Arkanoid
Arkanoid
is an arcade game developed by Taito in 1986. It is based upon Atari's Breakout games of the 1970s. The title refers to a doomed "mothership" from which the player's ship, the Vaus, escapes.-Overview:...

and Breakout
Breakout (video game)
Breakout is an arcade game developed by Atari, Inc and introduced on May 13, 1976. It was conceptualized by Nolan Bushnell and Steve Bristow, and influenced by the 1972 arcade game Pong, also by Atari. The game was ported to video game consoles and upgraded to video games such as Super Breakout...

, in which you must break assorted objects using a ball and a paddle to advance through the game. When these objects break, they release power-ups that have good, dubious or bad effects on the game that can make the game easier or harder (such as an extra life, the ball slowing down, and losing a life respectively. These powerups must touch the paddle to take effect). These can aid in clearing the screen, and as such, will help to complete the current level.

Lives can also be gained by collecting three purple-coloured gems in a row. These gems are scattered across every level, and are not necessary to complete the game.

Stages

There are two main stages in the game, which have many variations (due to alternating backgrounds and music). The first is called the "Ancient World", and seems to have drawn heavy inspiration from Egyptian
Egyptian mythology
Ancient Egyptian religion was a complex system of polytheistic beliefs and rituals which were an integral part of ancient Egyptian society. It centered on the Egyptians' interaction with a multitude of deities who were believed to be present in, and in control of, the forces and elements of nature...

 and Greek mythology
Greek mythology
Greek mythology is the body of myths and legends belonging to the ancient Greeks, concerning their gods and heroes, the nature of the world, and the origins and significance of their own cult and ritual practices. They were a part of religion in ancient Greece...

, based on the level names and design.

The second stage is called the "Planet World", and it is very much based on a futuristic, space-age setting. The main difference of this stage is that it utilises a techno
Techno
Techno is a form of electronic dance music that emerged in Detroit, Michigan in the United States during the mid to late 1980s. The first recorded use of the word techno, in reference to a genre of music, was in 1988...

 soundtrack, instead of the slower paced, more traditional Ancient World soundtrack.

The 1.1 update for the game adds the new "Original World" stage. Unlike the other two, it is not based on any mythology whatsoever, instead using stock backgrounds and no music for the 50 new levels.

Downloadable content

On 2 May 2010, a DLC pack was released in Europe. It costs £1.99, and adds the "Original World" campaign and one new trophy.

Reception

The game has received mediocre reviews. IGN
IGN
IGN is an entertainment website that focuses on video games, films, music and other media. IGN's main website comprises several specialty sites or "channels", each occupying a subdomain and covering a specific area of entertainment...

writer Greg Miller awarded the game 6.8, stating there was "nothing wrong with Hyperballoid [HD]", but there was "nothing noteworthy about it", either. GameSpot awarded it a similarly mediocre score (55), stating that the levels were "a grind", and that the only noteworthy part about it was its cheap price.
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