While there are already a few iPhone games that share the same gameplay mechanics as Orbital [App Store], none of them look anywhere near as cool.
Orbital is played with a single finger, tapping on the screen shoots a ball in the direction that the launcher is aiming. The launcher oscillates automatically left to right. When the ball lands, it expands and a number appears. That orb then needs to be hit that many times to clear it off the board.
In the “Pure" game mode, the orbs you shoot follow a standard trajectory and bounce off things as you would normally expect them to. This is the mode that most will be familiar with. In “Gravity" mode, however, the orbs you shoot are attracted to the existing orbs on screen and instead of your shots going straight, they will curve around everything on screen that now has its own gravitational pull. The whole game is wrapped in slick looking Geometry Wars-inspired graphics with tons of particle effects. The game also includes global high-score tracking.
The trailer provided by the developer shows the game in motion:
Also included is two player single device mode where players take turns shooting orbs onto the game field. While there are similar (and cheaper) games like Xpandaballs [App Store], they don’t have the enhanced graphics or Gravity mode found in Orbital.
The game takes a fun familiar gameplay and adds some nice enhancements. If you love the style, see yourself playing two player, or just think Gravity mode sounds cool, definitely consider picking up Orbital.
App Store Link: Orbital, $2.99
