Blobby Volleyball

I'm avoiding covering freebies given that there's no cost for you, our reader, to 'review' such games on your own and see if they fit into your gaming lifestyle. However, if there's a game that I feel particularly strongly about then I'll cover it. Blobby Volleyball made the cut. First, when I saw it I was so pleased as it remined me of one of the few (and I mean few) games I had on my old Pocket PC that I really enjoyed. The name of that game was Simbsoft Volleyball, but this is almost a mirror image of that game and I'm glad to see it. I'd easily have shelled out an obligatory buck for it. And I haven't seen any ads in the game either so this one is truly a labor of love for the developer.

What's the sport? One on one volleyball in which you control a pear shaped blob in a game of beach volleyball. Quite simply, you hit the ball back and forth over the net until one side fails to return the ball within three hits per volley. Only the server can score so initially you may be fighting for control of the server if you are the receiver, and, as said, if you can't return the ball within 3 hits or the ball hits the ground before that then you lose the volley. Controls are entirely touch based. You slide your finder back and forth along the bottom of the screen to move your blob left and right and then there's a line (that doesn't appear to be visible in the screenshot) that you can slide your finger above to make your blob jump. The graphics... well, I've already said the game is the spitting image of a game that I had on my Pocket PC 6-8 years ago so there's little need to say more there. The graphics are fine, but when the title has 'blob' in it that should set expectations. As for controls, that's probably my only complaint with the game. I was used to the Pocket PC version in which I just drag on the blob itself to move and jump around the court. The system of staying below the line is a little alien to me, but shouldn't be a problem if you don't have the 'old' controls burned into your brain.

Blobby Volleyball offers three difficulty levels that really are easy, medium, and hard along with a couple other game modes and multi-player mode over bluetooth or WiFi which I haven't tried, but is a pretty cool extra. This really it a nice, little sports title that has plenty of challenge and options in it. And for free this should provide some solid New Years entertainment. 4.5/5 stars overall, and a 5/5 for me on a personal level. This will probably be among my most played games in the coming monts if my addiction to its Pocket PC sibling is any indication.