https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g3aLEvzkcvQ
Pig Eat Ball is a game that came out of nowhere for me. I found this game tweeted out by the developer @MommysBestGames and the video looked interesting so I reached out to Mommy's Best Games and they were awesome enough to provide a review key for me to check out. But I was still relatively confused as to what kind of game it is and whether it was good or not. Pig Eat Ball is available on Steam and PS4 and is coming soon to the Xbox One, and I'm reviewing the Steam version. Don't barf, sit back, and relax while I talk about Pig Eat Ball.
So I've finally played through the adventure mode in its entirety and even with that being said, I find this is a very hard to describe game, but i'll do my best here. Pig Eat Ball has a very simple premise in its execution, the objective of each level is to eat all the tennis balls, and you play as a pig. Huh, just like the Title, no clickbait here! Generally with such a basic premise it can be worrisome that you're getting yourself into a game that is very simple and barebones, but this game does add a very interesting twist into the mix. Your piggy will get fatter and fatter as you eat, and sometimes you'll find tight areas you need to get through so you'll have to barf some balls out to fit through. This simple mechanic holds uniform throughout the game but there is a lot of variation thrown in as you play.
Now some of you are probably really puzzled by the synopsis of this game but it is all very easy to explain. You play as Princess Bow, a Pig who is the daughter of King Cake, a literal cake! King Cake decides to run a contest where the winner would win Princess Bow's hand in marriage. But the problem with that is she doesn't want to get married. So she puts on a pair of eyeglasses, certainly enough to fool a tasty pastry, to enter the contest herself so that she doesn't have to get married. Or she can choose a variety of other disguises that can net certain advantages and disadvantages as you play.
The objective of the games is to get all of the pearls from the clams spread around the space station by competing in a series of events located at each of the 5 substations part of the magical Space Station Kingdom. Each substation has a specific theme such as a sushi garden, sports bar, or farm. Once you earn all the pearls from one substation you can move onto the next, and there is a subplot going on with The Dean of the station, who is a scholarly chimp trying to prevent certain doom as there is a gravity well that threatens to end all life on the station and naturally there's more than meets the eye, but no biggie.
The graphical style is very cartoony and fits the whimsical themes of the game. It is bright and colorful and when you barf for example there are a lot of cool particles going on and at the end of each stage your pig blows out all kinds of stuff like bacon or confetti. The music in the game also fits the theme of the game very well, with music that goes along with the different worlds you play, and is very catchy with some nice and subtle tunes and the sound effects have a great punch like the graphics do with a very charming sound.
Okay, I have to drop the act now as I just have to gush about how good this game really is. I can't feign being unbiased here because this game is just off the wall nuts and has some of the most elegant design I've seen in a long time from a video game. This game is a masterclass on how you introduce new mechanics to the player as it starts things off very simple and teaches players about the various ways you can play it. And it will even intelligently flip the script and have you even defy some of the previously played mechanics in amazing ways. The variations between the stages really add a lot and there is never a dull moment throughout. The game even has explorable hub worlds in between the stages that allow you to find all kinds of neat secrets, get new disguises and powerups, and even some mini games and comical dialog with the various characters.
I think a really good tagline I can give for this game is This is possibly the Most Nintendo game that is not made by Nintendo I've ever played. The silly art style and dialog seem like something you would find in a game like Splatoon or Animal Crossing, the explorable hub worlds with the stages and the different objectives in each stage feel like a 3D mario game, and the fast paced arcadey gameplay with the huge amount of variety has a Mario party vibe to the whole thing. The very refined and deliberate design of the gameplay mechanics and levels just has a Nintendo feel, and despite the cartoony, pixelated graphics, the way this game is polished makes it shine like a chrome rim.
In case I haven't made myself clear, this is one of the most creative games I have played in a long time. The very simple mechanics and premise are exponentially enhanced by the impeccable design. This isn't just a going through mazes eating balls kind of game like Pacman. There are elements of physics, puzzle solving, fast paced action, and even some stealth oddly enough, and it is all executed in a buttery smooth fashion. The humor of the game is all right on point and just has a 90s Nickolodeon cartoon feel to it. This is a glorious arcade style mashup experience that is a thrill ride through and through. The adventure mode can net you about 10-15 hours of gameplay and there are a lot of secrets as well as doing your best on the leaderboards and even some exclusive stages if you can get a gold rank on all the other levels.
I realize that I haven't really had anything negative to say about the game and that's because if I did it would just feel nitpicky like I was just looking for something bad to say. The only thing I can think of is there is an imbalance in the difficulty curve as there are some up and down moments here but it never felt like it was too much. It's just notable that there were a few particular stages that perhaps shouldn't have been as hard as they were. But I'm not really the most skilled gamer and I was able to punch through the game without too much frustration, and the final areas provided a very satisfying challenge and made me feel accomplished when I persevered. Also there is a multiplayer party mode where you can play various minigames with friends and exclusive to the steam version is the ability to create and play user created levels. The total package is a great value that certainly is worth the full $15.
I know I reviewed some really good indie games in 2018 but this is a first for me, Pig Eat Ball gets a 10 out of 10, the first I've given out since I started reviewing games. 2018 has been a great year for indies and thus that makes it a bit more understandable how this one may have gotten lost in the mix but I feel it is every bit as good as the other top indies of this year and as I said, it just has that Nintendo feel. Pig Eat Ball is a true hidden gem and diamond in the rough, and one I think is definitely port beg worthy on the Switch. Wspecially since it just feels like it belongs on a Nintendo console, so hit up @mommysbestgames and port beg :) Be sure to check out Pig Eat Ball on your favorite platform of choice and leave a comment if this game looks interesting to you, I'll try to answer any questions you may have on it. But till then, Downphoenix out!
