Switchball is a puzzle game from Vivendi Online which now has it’s home on the Xbox 360’s Live Arcade, but with so many other games on the service it may be easy to pass this one by, however if you do have a few spare points then give this game some thought because it is pretty good.  

The whole idea behind Switchball is to work your rolling ball through the various environments, while avoiding all the hazards that come your way. The game offers five different environments (such as Ice, Lava etc) and within each are six different levels, which increase in difficulty as you progress.  

Now this may all sound rather familiar as far as balls rolling through different environment games go, but Switchball does offer something unique to stand it apart from the crowd, for example throughout the game you will be able to use different types of ball depending on the situation you are in, so if there are metal crates blocking your path, then switching to a metal ball will enable you to move them with ease, likewise there is also a air ball which makes you lighter, making it easier to get up ramps and other places where the metal ball is just too heavy to reach. There are also many other different types of balls to use and they are all fantastic fun, however we won’t spoil your enjoyment or sense of mystery by revealing what they are.  

There are some fantastic puzzles to negotiate during the game, such as having to turn levers, switch off fans before passing them, or having to use crates to create a platform for you to cross, there really is a great diversity in this area and the later levels will certainly have you scratching your head, especially if you are trying to beat the timer which is always ticking.

The single player experience isn’t a particularly long one, however the developers have had the sense to include a online mode to lengthen things out a bit.  There are two different ways you can play online, either with two-player co-op or alternatively you can race with up to eight players. The online options offer four levels for each mode and have slightly different play from the single player mode. The most fun you will have online though is definitely in the co-op mode, as it introduces some great elements which require you to work well as a team to progress. 

Graphically Switchball performs well, the movement of each different ball feels very realistic, heavy balls feel and act heavy while the lighter ones also act as they should, likewise the environments all perform well and are well animated. If there is one criticism of Switchball it is that the camera can be very awkward to use sometimes, this is especially true of when you are in the more difficult levels and one wrong move can ruin your chances, other than that and apart from some similarities in the levels, there are not too many bad things you can say about the game.

Switchball is a game that will more than likely appeal to fans of puzzlers rather than anyone else, so in this respect it does it job well. It is very addictive trying to beat each level within the set times and therefore you will probably find yourself going back now and again trying to do just that. Like I say this game might not be for everyone, but I for one am rather enjoying it.