You enter the castle of an evil wizard and are quickly turned into a ball. Of course, that's every hero's dream. In Airball you will go through a labyrinth of rooms to find the magic spell that will transform you back. Airball is a video game released by Microdeal in 1987. Ed Scio programmed it. Pete Lyon was responsible for the graphics. The music was composed by Paul Shields. Pete Scott did the level design. The game was originally released for the Dragon 32/64. Later on one NESversion worked. Only a prototype of the game was released.
Gameplay
There are 150 rooms that come together to form a maze. You have to find your way around in it in order to be released from the spell. Your problem with this is that you are a ball of air that consentingly runs out of air. Fortunately, there are air pumps in some rooms that you can use to inflate yourself again. But you mustn't linger on them too long, because with too much air you will burst. In some rooms you can find useful objects that will help you further in the labyrinth. This includes, for example, flashlights and other utensils. There is no card for the rooms.
The game is a pure game of skill in which the aim is to constantly maintain the air pressure and to overcome obstacles such as spears or abysses. Of course, the whole thing without bumping into any sharp objects.
Conclusion on airball
There are some interesting facets to this game for the NES. A lot can also be found in other games, but the idea with the ball that is slowly running out of air is interesting. The labyrinth can lead to despair in some places. Still, airball is a game that can be captivating. Retrogamers should definitely take a look.
Originally posted on 2018-09-28 08:58:00.
