The latest entry in our classics series was a game with an edge. Lots of edge, in fact, given that the graphics were all squares and rectangles. Presenting Squareball, originally released in 2009.
What was Squareball?
At its core, a horizontally scrolling platform game by indie developer Drömsynt. It came across like a mutant mash-up of three ancient games – Adventure, Pong and Breakout – combined with a simplified take on a slightly newer one, Super Mario Bros. All of which resulted in you dragging blocky scenery left and right to navigate your square ball to an exit. Which sounds simple – but the level design was devious, making it extremely tricky to avoid consigning your ball to oblivion through it colliding with a deadly red block or falling through a hole into the infinite darkness of space.
Why was it a classic?
It oozed retro charm from every pore. The chiptune music was fantastic and urged you on. The visuals were vibrant, with a subtle 3D effect that gave the chunky aesthetic a modern vibe. And the gameplay managed to be both murderously difficult and hugely compelling. As a player, you’d pretty quickly realize the weak point was you, because the controls were so tight. So it was the kind of game you’d swear by and swear at in equal measure, resolve to never have another go at after dying mere inches from the goal, and then pick up to try again. Given that the even tougher Flappy Bird was a worldwide hit four years later, perhaps Squareball just arrived too early. Or needed a feathered protagonist.
Where is it now?
Long gone, seemingly in every sense. Squareball vanished during the 32-bit appocalypse, although by then it was already broken and in need of fixing. Alas, nobody did. And we can’t even get an IPA we saved from iTunes back in the day to work on legacy hardware. All of which is a great pity, because the game would still work wonderfully on today’s iPhones – better, in fact, given that it would be fractionally easier to play with their wider displays.
Visit the Drömsynt YouTube channel for a wistful glimpse into the past.