Review: Dark Nebula - Hottest Games of 2009 We Missed
by Staff Writer
January 7, 2010
Overview
Dark Nebula is a ball rolling game with a basic connection to Labyrinth. It differs in most ways from Labyrinth by presenting a futuristic platformer type experience. Roll through complex levels with multiple obstacles in the subtitled “episode one,” potentially meaning more to come.
Features
10 levels are included each giving you different obstacles, and requiring different tactics. As you roll through the levels you will need to jump over gaps, dodge spikey wheels, collect colors to unlock doors, and even avoid laser fire. Every level is graded on three aspects, number of energy pills collected, lives lost, and time taken. Then you’re given a ranking from bronze to gold for each of the three, and overall. The controls are what you would expect with just tilting to roll the ball. A recent update added a new difficulty mode giving you expert on top of the original difficulty now known as normal. Also included are global leaderbaords for each of the 10 levels for both difficulties.
The Good
This may be the best ball rolling experience in the App Store that provides basic labyrinth style, but then gives you complex levels. You never know how long the level is, and you never know what’s coming next keeping you on the edge of your seat. This is the only ball rolling game that has got my heart pumping and my hands tense as I tilt. You have to make it through rotating spikey arms by rolling in the right gap at the right speed. Then you’ll need to avoid laser blast with multiple cannons lined up. Then you’ll reach gaps requiring you to roll over levers that allow you to jump from tiny ledge to tiny ledge. The game is an absolute beauty in every regard. The backgrounds are immensely detailed with a futuristic theme rolling across metal platforms in space. You can see the grids on the metal platforms, and all the nuts and bolts on the surrounding materials. As the ball rolls there is a sheen to it, and all of the gun fire, and rotating spikes are as smooth as silk.
A really neat aspect is when you roll over jumps, the ball seems like it pops out of the screen. Overall there is a nice 3D perspective added to everything. A really nice action soundtrack is included in the menus, but itis sadly absent in the game. The sound effects are deluxe, and always occurring to somewhat make up for a lack of game related music.
The tilting worked absolutely perfectly to make it through tight squeezes at the right speed. The inclusion of the colored star based system gives you instant reason to replay a level. Then on top of that there are now online high scores, but just getting all golds gives it high replayability.
