From the same studio that brought you the underrated gem Red Ball Roll, indie developer Team Azumad, comes a wacky new spiritual followup called Squirrel Ball that keeps the same basic Marble Madness in 2D gameplay mechanics of its predecessor while vastly improving in other areas. This adorable momentum sidescroller comes across as an elegant hybrid of Pinball and platforming as players are largely at the mercy of the various boosts strategically placed throughout each level with figuring out how best to use them to your advantage being the key to a good high score. While Squirrel Ball is partly a collect-a-thon in this case it’s a good thing as players can chain together picking up nuts for big combos which can be exploited through the games light puzzle elements.
The level design is appreciably varied as each room players encounter has a different twist of its own but the overarching goal of each is the same as players must collect enough nuts before the timer runs out so they can unlock the exit and complete the level. Time is very limited so players will need to think strategically about what the best plan of attack will be while taking things like the explosive chain reaction nuts that auto-collect every nut that’s linked to them into consideration. Squirrel Ball is also considerably better looking than its forerunner with much more pleasing eye candy that gives the game more of a personality.
If you like games like Super Monkey Ball and Marble Madness be sure to take a spin in Squirrel Ball! You can pick it up for free on Google Play.
Squirrel Ball (Playboard) | Squirrel Ball (Play Store)