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10 Ball 7 Cups

by Eric March on March 15, 2009 at 7:26 pm

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(7 votes, average: 3.86 out of 5)

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App Name:	10 Balls 7 Cups
Developer:	Graveck Interactive LLC	Version:	1.0
Publisher:	Graveck Interactive LLC	Size:	11.4 MB
Category:	Arcade Games	Price:	$0.99

From the title alone (and I think even the most prudish and disconnected among you recognize where Graveck derived inspiration for the game’s name) you just know this is going to be a game that doesn’t take itself seriously. Like yesterday’s review of Arcade Bowling, this is another skeeball game, so I thought I’d review this before all else to provide some instant contrast and comparison.

10 Balls 7 Cups actually started development before Arcade Bowling, and features a few of the things that found their way into the latter game before the latter game turned up, though this one got a later release. There are a number of similarities in fact — beyond the fact that they’re both skeeball games — but also a number of significant differences that are worth noting and give each a distinct feel that separates one from the other.

To begin with, 10 Balls 7 Cups is done in real OpenGL 3D rather than 2D, so movement and animation is a lot more fluid and realistic. It also uses the nVidia PhysX engine for truly realistic physics, and I have to say that after spending some quality time with the rather forgiving physics of Arcade Bowling, this one took a bit of getting used to. It feels a lot more realistic, and as a result it actually ends up being a bit harder to get the balls in the cups you’re aiming for. That’s not a criticism, just a difference; the feel of the gameplay is really quite a contrast between the two games. The balls “feel” heavier, and it’s a lot harder to get the balls up into the highest scoring cups in the corner, requiring a pretty firm, quick swipe up the length of the alley to even have a chance. Arcade Bowling by comparison made it all too easy to get up there — so much so in fact that it became common to overshoot and hit the backboard, thus knocking it well away from where you wanted it to be.

10 Balls also features the same sort of tilt mechanism to add some spin to the ball while it is in motion, though unlike Arcade Bowling, it only pays attention to one axis — left and right — so you can’t tilt backward and forward to effectively adjust gravity. Again, not a bad thing, just a difference, though it would probably make it a little easier to hit the corner cups. Another thing that makes an appearance in both games are bonus cups, though in 10 Balls they’re treated a little differently. Whereas in Arcade Bowling, bonus cups only doubled the value of the cup once, and then only in progressive mode, in 10 Balls it permanently increases your score multiplier, effectively doubling the value of all cups for the remainder of the game. Furthermore, additional bonus cups can be hit to increase the multiplier even higher. And speaking of progressive mode, there is none in 10 Balls, though Graveck are considering the possibility of adding it in the future.

The ability to shoot more than one ball at a time is also a feature available here, too — but again, it’s probably not advised, if not for the diminished ability to properly guide the balls, then for the fact that you might miss out on a bonus cup, since they show up randomly after a ball is sunk, so if you’ve already got another one on the go, it might miss the bonus cup you didn’t aim for. Although minor, one other difference is that the cup scores here are higher than other skeeball games. Finally, and perhaps a little more significantly, Arcade Bowling doesn’t have a zero-point gutter, while 10 Balls does, so you do run the risk of scoring nothing on a ball if your aim or shot strength is particularly bad — or if the ball just bounces off a lip and careens out of the scoring area.

Perhaps the one standout feature in 10 Balls is the prize system. You not only score points, but as with a real arcade skeeball game, you can win tickets that can be redeemed for virtual prizes. At the end of each game, you are given the option to redeem your tickets for a selection prizes. There are a limited number of prizes you can redeem for after each game, but the prizes are randomized after each game as well, so each time you will be able to select from a different set of prizes. Each prize can be redeemed for a certain number of tickets, with more “valuable” prizes costing more. There are also “rare” and “epic” prizes you can buy that turn up from time to time — but only if you have enough tickets, and they’re usually pretty spendy for obvious reasons. To cap off the prize lots, 10 Balls also gives you the opportunity to brag to your friends about the swag you’ve won. Simply go have a look at your swag screen and tap the “Brag to a Friend” button. It’ll transfer a premade message into your E-Mail program, whereupon you can boast to whomever you like. And of course, there’s a global high score system too, so you can compete with the rest of the world on the basis of total tickets won, too. I am of the opinion that this isn’t really the best method to score people on because ticket wins is simply a matter of longevity — how long you can play for and accrue tickets — rather than your skill as a skeeballer.

10 Balls isn’t quite as glittery as Arcade Bowling to be certain; on flashy glow-in-the-dark looks alone Arcade Bowling still wins. The sound effects in 10 Balls are also first-rate, if perhaps not quite as realistic as Arcade Bowling — the most notable differences being the lack of a ball rolling sound, which Graveck are already aware of and are working on. But with its prize system full of wacky swag, real 3D graphics, and the nVidia PhysX engine, 10 Balls provides for a more realistic and humorous experience that doesn’t for a moment try to pretend that it’s anything other than a fun and addictive yet self-effacing game of skeeball. So who’s gets the winner’s (ahem) cup? Forasmuch as I am a sucker for eye candy, I think I have to give the edge to 10 Balls 7 Cups on the basis of realism, self-aware humour, and the fun prize lots. There’s no lite version here, but if you like skeeball games, this one will only set you back a measly buck, which is frankly underselling itself, and that’s pretty tough to argue with. Check out Graveck’s parody promo video below, which is plenty of fun but really could use a bit more punchy PowerThirst enthusiasm.