Madballs in Babo: Invasion
Encyclopedia
Madballs in Babo: Invasion is an action
video game developed by Playbrains. It was released on July 15, 2009 on Xbox Live Arcade
and on September 17, 2009 for Microsoft Windows
.
The game reprises the 1980s Madballs
toy franchise. The game is a sequel to BaboViolent 2
.
from a top-down perspective. Players roll their Babo, a heavily-armed sphere, around in an arena, attempting to kill enemy players. There are ten unique Babos spread across two teams: the B*D*I and the Scorched. Each Babo has unique stats and abilities to utilize. For instance, the character Robo has high defenses, lacks speed, and can disarm enemies with his special ability.
Most of the characters, weapons, and abilities in the game are locked. A campaign mode spanning ten levels must be played to unlock characters and weapons, but downloadable content
is available for purchase for players who do not wish to play the campaign. Weapons are unique in the fact that they have two modes of firing. Most weapons may switch between ballistic and laser firing modes, with other weapons switching between heat and cold. Players may gain an advantage over opponents by switching to a weapon the enemy is weak to.
. IGN
awarded it a 7.5, noting the graphics and gameplay foremost. GameSpot
gave it a 7.0, finding the multiplayer to be solid, but the characters to be annoying. Reviews were slightly more positive for the Windows version of the game, with PC Gamer UK
calling it "A surprising treat." and giving it a score of 81/100.
Action game
Action game is a video game genre that emphasizes physical challenges, including hand–eye coordination and reaction-time. The genre includes diverse subgenres such as fighting games, shooter games, and platform games, which are widely considered the most important action games, though some...
video game developed by Playbrains. It was released on July 15, 2009 on Xbox Live Arcade
Xbox Live Arcade
Xbox Live Arcade is a type of video game download distribution available primarily in a section of the Xbox Live Marketplace, Microsoft's digital distribution network for the Xbox 360, that focuses on smaller downloadable games from both major publishers and independent game developers...
and on September 17, 2009 for Microsoft Windows
Microsoft Windows
Microsoft Windows is a series of operating systems produced by Microsoft.Microsoft introduced an operating environment named Windows on November 20, 1985 as an add-on to MS-DOS in response to the growing interest in graphical user interfaces . Microsoft Windows came to dominate the world's personal...
.
The game reprises the 1980s Madballs
Madballs
Madballs were a series of toy rubber balls created by AmToy, a subsidiary company of American Greetings in the mid-1980s.The toys incorporated gross-out humor in the vein of Wacky Packages and Garbage Pail Kids...
toy franchise. The game is a sequel to BaboViolent 2
BaboViolent 2
Babo Violent 2 is a freeware multiplayer game for Windows. It is a 3d Top-down shooter. A sequel, Madballs in Babo: Invasion was announced on May 31, 2009 for PC and Xbox Live Arcade in Summer 2009.-Gameplay:...
.
Gameplay
Madballs in Babo: Invasion is a shooterShoot 'em up
Shoot 'em up is a subgenre of shooter video games. In a shoot 'em up, the player controls a lone character, often in a spacecraft or aircraft, shooting large numbers of enemies while dodging their attacks. The genre in turn encompasses various types or subgenres and critics differ on exactly what...
from a top-down perspective. Players roll their Babo, a heavily-armed sphere, around in an arena, attempting to kill enemy players. There are ten unique Babos spread across two teams: the B*D*I and the Scorched. Each Babo has unique stats and abilities to utilize. For instance, the character Robo has high defenses, lacks speed, and can disarm enemies with his special ability.
Most of the characters, weapons, and abilities in the game are locked. A campaign mode spanning ten levels must be played to unlock characters and weapons, but downloadable content
Downloadable content
Downloadable content is official additional content for a video game distributed through the Internet. Downloadable content can be of several types, ranging from a single in-game outfit to an entirely new, extensive storyline, similarly to an expansion pack. As such, DLC may add new game modes,...
is available for purchase for players who do not wish to play the campaign. Weapons are unique in the fact that they have two modes of firing. Most weapons may switch between ballistic and laser firing modes, with other weapons switching between heat and cold. Players may gain an advantage over opponents by switching to a weapon the enemy is weak to.
Reception
Madballs in Babo: Invasion had mixed reviews when it was released for the Xbox Live Arcade, netting it a 68 on MetacriticMetacritic
Metacritic.com is a website that collates reviews of music albums, games, movies, TV shows and DVDs. For each product, a numerical score from each review is obtained and the total is averaged. An excerpt of each review is provided along with a hyperlink to the source. Three colour codes of Green,...
. 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...
awarded it a 7.5, noting the graphics and gameplay foremost. GameSpot
GameSpot
GameSpot is a video gaming website that provides news, reviews, previews, downloads, and other information. The site was launched in May 1, 1996 by Pete Deemer, Vince Broady and Jon Epstein. It was purchased by ZDNet, a brand which was later purchased by CNET Networks. CBS Interactive, which...
gave it a 7.0, finding the multiplayer to be solid, but the characters to be annoying. Reviews were slightly more positive for the Windows version of the game, with PC Gamer UK
PC Gamer
PC Gamer is a magazine founded in Britain in 1993 devoted to PC gaming and published monthly by Future Publishing. The magazine has several regional editions, with the UK and US editions becoming the best selling PC games magazines in their respective countries...
calling it "A surprising treat." and giving it a score of 81/100.