DX-Ball
Encyclopedia
DX-Ball is a freeware
computer game for the PC
first released in 1996 by Michael P. Welch. The game, an updated version of an earlier series of Amiga
games known as Megaball, is patterned after classic ball-and-paddle arcade games such as Breakout and Arkanoid
. It became a massive cult classic
in the Windows
freeware gaming community during the late 1990s. A level editor
was made available as well.
: you bounce a ball off a paddle at the bottom hitting different color blocks on the top of the screen. Hitting all the blocks results in completing the level and going to the next. There are 50 levels to complete. Unlike Breakout, however, is the inclusion of powerups other than extra balls. When you hit a brick, there is a chance that a powerup will float downwards towards the paddle, and can be picked up by touching it with the paddle. Certain powerups have positive effects, while others have negative, making it important to try to collect the beneficial powerups while avoiding the detrimental powerups. There are 18 power-ups, four of them being either good or bad. For example, if you were to get the fast ball power-up. the ball will simply gain speed. The Ball also gradually picks up speed as the game continues. Some good power-ups include the Zap Brick which reveals the hidden bricks and also makes the unbreakable bricks breakable, the grab paddle, which is able to catch the ball and aim it at any brick that you want to hit, and also the Extra Life, whose powers give you an extra life at the cost of most of your power-ups, and Level Warp, which lets you advance to the next level.
(1998), Rival Ball (2001) and Super DX-Ball
(2004), have been released. All of these are not freeware like the original.
Freeware
Freeware is computer software that is available for use at no cost or for an optional fee, but usually with one or more restricted usage rights. Freeware is in contrast to commercial software, which is typically sold for profit, but might be distributed for a business or commercial purpose in the...
computer game for the PC
IBM PC
The IBM Personal Computer, commonly known as the IBM PC, is the original version and progenitor of the IBM PC compatible hardware platform. It is IBM model number 5150, and was introduced on August 12, 1981...
first released in 1996 by Michael P. Welch. The game, an updated version of an earlier series of Amiga
Amiga
The Amiga is a family of personal computers that was sold by Commodore in the 1980s and 1990s. The first model was launched in 1985 as a high-end home computer and became popular for its graphical, audio and multi-tasking abilities...
games known as Megaball, is patterned after classic ball-and-paddle arcade games such as Breakout and Arkanoid
Arkanoid
is an arcade game developed by Taito in 1986. It is based upon Atari's Breakout games of the 1970s. The title refers to a doomed "mothership" from which the player's ship, the Vaus, escapes.-Overview:...
. It became a massive cult classic
Cult Classic
Cult Classic is a Blue Öyster Cult studio recording released in 1994, containing remakes of many of the band's previous hits.-Track listing:# " The Reaper" - 5:05# "E.T.I...
in the Windows
Microsoft Windows
Microsoft Windows is a series of operating systems produced by Microsoft.Microsoft introduced an operating environment named Windows on November 20, 1985 as an add-on to MS-DOS in response to the growing interest in graphical user interfaces . Microsoft Windows came to dominate the world's personal...
freeware gaming community during the late 1990s. A level editor
Level editor
A level editor is a software tool used to design levels, maps, campaigns, etc and virtual worlds for a video game. In some cases the creator of a video game releases an official level editor for a game, but other times the community of fans step in to fill the void...
was made available as well.
Gameplay
The game is basically a Breakout cloneBreakout clone
A Breakout clone is a sub-class of the "bat-and-ball" genre introduced with the Magnavox Odyssey's Tennis and Atari's Pong...
: you bounce a ball off a paddle at the bottom hitting different color blocks on the top of the screen. Hitting all the blocks results in completing the level and going to the next. There are 50 levels to complete. Unlike Breakout, however, is the inclusion of powerups other than extra balls. When you hit a brick, there is a chance that a powerup will float downwards towards the paddle, and can be picked up by touching it with the paddle. Certain powerups have positive effects, while others have negative, making it important to try to collect the beneficial powerups while avoiding the detrimental powerups. There are 18 power-ups, four of them being either good or bad. For example, if you were to get the fast ball power-up. the ball will simply gain speed. The Ball also gradually picks up speed as the game continues. Some good power-ups include the Zap Brick which reveals the hidden bricks and also makes the unbreakable bricks breakable, the grab paddle, which is able to catch the ball and aim it at any brick that you want to hit, and also the Extra Life, whose powers give you an extra life at the cost of most of your power-ups, and Level Warp, which lets you advance to the next level.
Sequels
Three sequels, DX-Ball 2DX-Ball 2
DX-Ball 2 is a video game for Microsoft Windows by Longbow Digital Arts as a follow up to the 1996 game DX-Ball. Like the original, it is patterned after classic ball-and-paddle arcade games such as Breakout and Arkanoid....
(1998), Rival Ball (2001) and Super DX-Ball
Super DX-Ball
Super DX-Ball is a popular one-player PC shareware game by BlitWise Productions, released on November 10, 2004. It is similar in style to games such as Breakout and Arkanoid, and is the follow-up to three previous games in the DX-Ball series: DX-Ball, DX-Ball 2, and Rival Ball...
(2004), have been released. All of these are not freeware like the original.
External links
- Homepage of DX-Ball - The game and level editor can be legally downloaded here.