Review - Madballs in Babo: Invasion

Quite possibly the best downloadable game based on a forgotten 80s toy line you’ll ever play.
 
I’m the sort of unabashed man-child who consistency appals fully matured adults with my almost encyclopaedic knowledge of 80s cartoon themes and toy commercial jingles, but I still found myself having to Google ‘Madballs’ for a quick nostalgia nudge. Despite having spawned an animated series and Marvel comic book the bouncy head-ball-things had disappeared into obscurity for almost two decades until recently being resurrected by the skilled sculptors at Art Asylum. And now on Live Arcade comes the video game you never expected to see; Madballs in Babo: Invasion, which sees the Madballs toy line invade freeware top-down shooter BaboViolent 2.
 
Canadian developer Playbrains’ website claims that the company is committed to delivering “console and PC games that blur the lines between downloadable and retail games”. Well, they’ve definitely managed that with Madballs in Babo, a release that features accessible but addictive gameplay and at 800 MS points has more modes and features than many full priced titles.
 
The single-player campaign features 10 levels which can be played from the perspective of either the B*D*I (good guys, pretty ugly) or the Scorched Militia (bad guys, really ugly). The story, if one was needed, sees the rival Madball factions crash-land onto the planet Babo, inhabited by the similarly proportioned of the same name. The characters you will unlock all have distinctive personalities and abilities (a tap skill and a charge skill) as well as weapons that are exclusive to each faction; these also have two functions each, though the second must be unlocked via experience points.
 
While the campaign is enjoyable enough, with co-op available, this game is truly a competitive multiplayer experience through and through. There’s a wealth of available modes, from the usual Skirmish, Team Skirmish and Capture the Flag offerings to two unique modes: Invasion and Avatar Attack! The experience you earn unlocks characters, weapons and abilities in every game mode, so you’ll want to return to the campaign if only to ensure that you’re better equipped for your next deathmatch.
 
As someone who tends to play through a substantial portion of any single-player game before tackling the multiplayer, I found this system worked particularly well. Those wishing to play solely online might find themselves a little handicapped during the first hour-or-so of Madball’s versus modes, though each respawn does grant you a powerful grenade and molotov cocktail regardless of your rank. But hours into Madballs you’ll still be earning access to new characters, moves and weapons; Playbrain are clearly aware that unlocking these secrets is key to the game’s appeal, and a helpful menu shows you what’s on offer, and what you’ll need to do to get it.
 
As you are able to switch between characters and weapons with every respawn, there’s a high level of experimentation involved. Depending on which team you play as you’ll have access to different weapons and ball classes (Heavy, Assault, Support, Flyer and Runner) and deciding on the optimal weapon and approach for each of these is vital to your success. Slow Gatling guns and bazookas are only useful on the more robust balls, for example, as they tend to make the smaller, lighter