With a lot of below average break-out clones floating around, this one stands out more than most.
Hoowaball, put simply, is one of the better break-out clones. If you are a freeware addict, then you will probably know that there are countless break-out clones floating around the web and most of them really don't cut it. Some have nice graphics and sound but don't feel nice, others are just plain average with nothing to make them stand out and others are just plain terrible. Fortunately this one actually happens to be pretty good, both from a graphical, sound and game play perspective.
For those that have been living under a rock for countless years and don't know how to play break-out, it goes something like this. Down the bottom of the screen, you control a small bat, which can be moved to the left hand or right hand sides of the screen. Up the top of the screen is a formation of bricks. The game is played with a ball and the aim of each level is to destroy all the bricks on the screen by moving the paddle to the appropriate place on the screen and knocking the ball back and forth. If the ball manages to slip past your paddle, you lose a life.
This one is played a little differently. With each new level you have a new task to complete with your ball. For example, collect all the silver coins. Once you have completed the task you have the option to exit the level and continue on with the next or finish off all the bricks and collect all the bonuses. This is a nice twist and works rather well. The level design helps the game out a great deal as does the stylish power-ups you are able to collect throughout the game.
The graphics are beautifully drawn and match the game play perfectly. The sound is also more than adequate, although it doesn't stand out quite as much as the graphics do. All in all, this is an impressive effort and manages to work on all fronts.
Thumbs up.