Missileball is an action puzzle game released for the Wii U and FlexiCon in 2020 by TremorLabs. It was a launch title for the FlexiCon, while it was one of the last Wii U titles.
Gameplay[]
The game revolves around rolling a ball across a 2D environment, left and right. The ball also has a funnel protruding from one part of it, which rotates around as well. The player is given set amounts and types of ammunition to use at the start of each level. They must choose which ammo to use and launch it to hit buttons, break down walls, or perform other actions.
The ammo is launched in the direction the funnel is facing, so often you will have to get the ball into the right position to shoot- but this can be dangerous as you can roll into obstacles.
The game also has an inbuilt Level Editor, where you can build your own levels and share them online. You get to place obstacles (including bottomless pits, mines and explosives), puzzle elements (buttons, doors, etc.) and platforming elements (platforms and bounce pads). You then decide on the ammunition that can be used, and must complete the level.
The level difficulty quickly goes from very easy to relatively difficult, to the point that it is almost impossible to beat all 80 levels of the game.
List of Ammunition[]
| Name | Properties |
|---|---|
| Metal Ball Light | Can hit buttons that only require light weight. Affected by gravity. |
|
Metal Ball Medium |
Can hit buttons that require light or medium weight. Affected by gravity. |
| Metal Ball Heavy | Can hit buttons that require light, medium or heavy weight. Affected by gravity. |
| Harmless Missile Light | Can hit buttons that require light weight. Not affected by gravity. |
| Harmless Missile Medium | Can hit buttons that require light or medium weight. Not affected by gravity. |
| Harmless Missile Heavy | Can hit buttons that require light, medium or heavy weight. Not affected by gravity. |
| Bomb | Can break down walls. Affected by gravity. |
| Explosive Missile | Can break down walls. Not affected by gravity. When funnel is facing down and missile is fired, your Ball will "jump" a little. |
| Ball Split | Shoots another ball which you then gain control of. Other ball becomes dormant. New ball is affected by gravity. |
| Mine Bomb | Only available if a Mine Bomb Button is on the map. Affected by gravity. When it lands, it does nothing. When a Mine Bomb Button is hit by other ammunition, it explodes. If it is in your Ammo Inventory when the button is hit, the Mine Bomb will be unavailable for the rest of the level. If you are on top of the mine when it detonates, your Ball will "jump" a little. |
Reception[]
The game recieved very positive reviews from critics. It was praised as "one of the best, most creative console puzzle games of the decade." IGN rated it 9.5 out of 10 for its creative premise, combination of problem solving and reflexes, and the easy-to-use level editor.