 "Insane Orb" | |
| Author: | wvaldez |
|---|---|
| Audio used: | Various |
| Origin: | 01/17/2004 |
| Size: | 200.6 KB |
| Score (As of 29 May, 2011): | 2.89/5.00 |
| Awards: | |
| Author's comments: | |
| Get the ball past the blocker on the left side to score. Use spacebar to fire at the ball to win faster. As you or the opponent gain more points the level will change, adding obstacles that affect the ball. | |
| Note | This information only refers to the official release on the Flash Portal. |
Insane Orb is a Flash game by wvaldez. It is a Skill game similar to Pong, the classic arcade sports game.
Design[]
Insane Orb, in essence, is an updated version of the classic game Pong. Players play as the left paddle, and must reach 75 points before their opponent. The game has four main features that distinguish it from the original game. First, there are three difficulty settings. Second, the player is equipped with a basic weapon, which can be used to blast the ball at the opponent's side of the screen. Third, The game features a constantly changing environment, including gravity sinks and wells that alter the ball's path, a Pacman-like character that chases the ball around and shoots it at the player's side, and falling blocks that serve as obstacles for the ball. Last of all, there is a "Lazy" mode, in which the game essentially plays itself.
Gameplay[]
For a game based on Pong, Insane Orb has surprisingly deep controls. The up and down arrow keys control the paddle, while the spacebar must be clicked in order to fire the weapon. The Shift button changes the size of the screen to another of the five preset sizes, ranging from 400 X 300 pixels to 800 X 600 pixels. P pauses and unpauses the game, while L activates and deactivates "Lazy Mode."
Presentation[]
Insane Orb is essentially an evolution of the classical game Pong.
Like many other games of the era, Insane Orb features fairly simple graphics, with either plain colors or simple gradients. However, the various objects have very different color schemes, and the background frequently changes colors. The game's music includes the boss themes of Sonic 2 and 3 and a "A Boy and his Blob" theme remix by Mazedude. Sound effects are taken from Sonic 2 and several Mario games.
Reception[]
Insane Orb is somewhat of a puzzle in terms of its reception. On one hand, it has a score below 3/5, a good yet not particularly impressive average review of 8.5/10, has no awards, and is featured in only one category, Action Games. However, it is the third most viewed submissions in Newgrounds history, with over 46.2 million views to its name, behind only Hentai ~ SimGirls (beta) and Friday Night Funkin'. This is even more astounding when one considers that the game's Author, wvaldez, has only won three awards, and only one of his other games, Mario World: Overrun (which has since been removed), ever reached a million views.
Insane Orb EX[]
The new version of Insane Orb, with completely changed graphics, changed proportions and a weapon for the AI opposition. The screen is much smaller, giving proportionally larger paddles. The music is also changed.
This version was immediately well received, earning a Daily 1st.