Literally covered in painstakingly-rendered palm trees, treasure chests, villas, scarecrows, doubloons and other random objects, each stage is essentially composed of several moving figures (see: swimming sharks’ fins, bubbling brooks) set atop eye-catching multi-tiered environments.īetter yet, featured backdrops, designed to look like bridge-supported seaside island hideaways, verdant townships and quiet forest scenes, are specifically made to splinter apart. Holding the right mouse button down to tilt environments or just observing stages from the default view, you’ll instantly be amazed at how detailed the visuals now are. The thing that’s so striking here – and will immediately wow fans of previous Magic Ball adventures – is how amazing a graphical upgrade everything’s been given. Destroy enough on-screen items, and you’ll be rewarded with a glowing badge, which, when collected, sends you skipping off to the next level where you’ll repeat the process all over again. roiling seascapes, quaint hamlets and charming pastoral scenes crawling with wildlife) and using a paddle to smash the living snot out of any object or critter occupying them.

Summoning a colored paddle and the most fearsome of weapons – a magic ball capable of undoing his spells and freeing the knights, cowboys and pirates he’s imprisoned – you promptly set out for the warlock’s enchanted castle.įorget the storyline, however… This one’s all about storming gorgeous 3D playfields (e.g. Surprise: As the story opens, it’s discovered the evil wizard whom you’d previously defeated and barred from our dimension has escaped and stolen more of reality itself. Offering a host of fresh graphical upgrades, imaginative power-ups and assorted enhancements, we’re confident fans of the best-selling series’ first two installments will be more than delighted by the improvements made here. Ironically enough though, the best gift of all you’re likely to receive will come courtesy not of Saint Nick, but rather Alawar Entertainment, who’s actually releasing ambitious new brick-basher Magic Ball 3 on December 25th itself.

Magic ball 3 games