THANKS to Palm Addicts for the recent mention! Plus, check out Palm Addicts for all the mobile technology related news you may be interested in. Plus, check out all the wonderful giveaways that Sammy generously gives away from time to time!

It’s time for another installment of Palm Discovery’s wReview Wednesday!

Funkyball Worlds

One of the great features of the iPhone and iPod Touch is the built-in accelerometer that will detect when the iPhone is tilted in a certain way or direction. Its original intention was to detect when the iPhone was tilted on its side so that the screen will tilt to render the screen in landscape but obviously it has proven to be much more than a simple screen tilt feature to become something that many game developers have utilized in their games in such a way that game play is greatly enhanced by it. Such is the case with Astraware’s Funkyball Worlds, a very cute, simple and yet challenging game where you direct the “Funkyball” through an obstacle course by tilting your iPhone in ways to make it move around the course. Of course, along the way, you’ll encounter many obstacles that will prevent you from making it through such as mines, lasers and others. Plus, make sure you don’t fall off the platforms! Collect various stars of different types to get goodies like shaving off valuable seconds from your time and other bonuses. Jump and roll your way from platform to platform to get to the exit and go on to the next level. There are three different “worlds” of difficulty each with 24 levels to get through to keep you playing for hours.

Thanks for visiting and supporting . If you are not reading this article from Palmdiscovery.com, the website you are reading it from is copying and posting my content without consent. Please visit Palm Discovery for the original source of the material.

For those who want to skip over all the detailed review and just want a summary, you can jump to the review summary

Funkyball Worlds is quite an interesting game that is both simple and challenging. The object of the game is to direct your Funkyball from one platform to another by tilting your iPhone in various directions and using your fingers to make the Funkyball jump to get through the obstacle course to the exit. Along the way, you’ll encounter many ways you can lose your Funkyball, whether simply rolling off the platform, hitting the mines or lasers. You’ll also have the opportunity to collect stars which vary in benefits such as shaving off valuable seconds off your time to others. Don’t forget that the clock is running, regardless of how many times your Funkyball rolls off the platform or gets hit. There are three different “worlds” of difficulty (Forest - Easy; Water - Hard; Desert - Medium) with twenty-four levels in each world. The object is to get to the exit as quickly as possible. To make the game even more addictive, there’s also OpenFeint which offers you to connect to Twitter and/or Facebook

More details of Funkyball for the iPhone and iPod Touch (taken from Apple iTunes store)

Funkyball Worlds is a groovy physics-based platform game that is as beautiful as it is challenging. Guide the realistically weighted Funkyball across the platforms against the clock, collecting the stars to improve your time. Traverse multiple scrolling 3D levels using a combination of accelerometer and multi-touch controls to roll, slide and jump your way through 3 different worlds. Avoid hazards such as mines and lasers, and use tools like the ball launcher to help you along your way!

Features include:

• 3 beautiful worlds to explore
• 24 levels per world
• Intuitive controls and gameplay
• Hazards include mines, mortars, rotating lasers, rocket launchers, electric field emitters and plasma burners
• Enjoy the original music soundtrack by Poland’s DJ Zombie, or create your own Funkyball playlist using the iPod Music feature within the game.
• OpenFeint achievements and online high score tables for best level times. Up to 1,000 OpenFeint points up for grabs!
• Additional graphics effects can be turned on or off.
• Extra skins for your Funkyball can be unlocked during play!

Facebook fan page: http://www.facebook.com/pages/FunkyBall-Worlds-Game/231480028985

Check out the video demo at http://www.youtube.com/handmarkinc

What’s New In Version 1.12.000

Further update to fix OpenFeint achievements - achievements earned but not unlocked should now be awarded!

Slideshow of Funkyball Worlds for the iPhone and iPod Touch

Video of Funkyball Worlds for the iPhone and iPod Touch

Video review of FunkyBall Worlds for the iPhone and iPod Touch

Here are my observations:

I Liked:

Play with your friends from Twitter or Facebook or OpenFeint

One of the addictive aspects of any game, including Funkyball Worlds is the game’s connection to a social network like Facebook and Twitter. Funkyball World will allow you to connect to Facebook and Twitter plus OpenFeint and allow you to find out which of your friends are playing the game you’re playing or discover games they play. As well, you can compete with your friends from those platform as sort of a bragging rights kind of fun.

Accelerometer game play

The best feature of the game is how integrated the game is with the iPhone’s accelerometer. You will need to tilt your iPhone’s screen ever which way and in varying degrees to control the Funkyball to roll across your screen. Tilt it more and the Funkyball will roll and move faster. Tilt is less and in the opposite direction to slow or stop the ball. Very fun.

Simple to play

The idea of the game is very simple to grasp. Tilt using your logic to determine how much to tilt your iPhone’s screen in certain directions to make the Funkyball move. It’s so simple to play that even kids will quickly and easily grasp the concept. How easily the ball will get to the exit will depend on skill however.

Challenging game play

As mentioned already, although Funkyball is very easy to understand and easy to play, it is quite a challenging game. You’d need good coordination and skill to make the Funkyball jump just enough to get to the next platform and the next and so on, to get to the end of the level. Plus, the time clock is your enemy as you are trying to beat the clock to get to the exit as quickly as possible without falling off the platform or getting destroyed. It’s not as easy as you’d think.

OpenFeint access

Aside from the Facebook and Twitter connection, OpenFeint offers a place where players can interact with others via forums, chats, etc. You can definitely get much more out of the game via interaction with others via OpenFeint by finding out which games your friends or others on OpenFeint are playing and discover more games to play.

Play tunes from your iTunes library

Most games nowadays allow and support the playback of music from your iPhone or iPod Touch’s music library and Funkyball Worlds is no exception. However, their game music isn’t bad either should you wish to listen to it while playing. And, you can always turn off the music and sounds to play without any interruptions or distractions.

Game rendered in landscape mode

A big plus where the developers “get it” in my view is that the game is rendered in landscape mode. This offers the best view and game play as you have a wider platform and area to play in as opposed to playing in portrait. In this case, I won’t complain that the game doesn’t support portrait as that would seem silly.

Three “worlds” of difficulty levels

There are three “worlds” of difficulty levels: Forest - Easy, Desert - Medium and Water - Hard. Each world offers twenty-four levels allowing you up to 76 levels to play. You can easily play any world simply by exiting out of your game and selecting a different world.

Unlimited lives

One of the unique features of this game is that you are offered unlimited lives. Unlike many typical games where you are given three or a certain number of lives before it’s “game over”, you can die as many times as you want and the game still continues playing. The only thing is that you are not judged by your lives but by the clock. So, if you’re unconcerned about being at the top of the leaderboard and just want a stress-free game, this may be it. You can practically keep playing forever on level one if you want and the game won’t end until you decide to.

Pause game supported

I really appreciate it when developers implement a Pause game button. And Funkyball Worlds offer a Pause game button at the bottom left corner. Sometimes, it just happens when you need to pause the game for whatever reason.

Option of resuming or starting new game

When you run Funkyball Worlds, it will automatically load your previous game (if you have one). However, you can start a new game if you wish by tapping on the button located at the top left hand corner and selecting Quit from the menu options. It will prompt and confirm that you do wish to quit and then you can start a new game.

No time limit

Very similar to the unlimited lives, Funkyball Worlds has no time limit, so to speak. You won’t get “GAME OVER” for playing too long on one level, although the clock will just continuing to keep running. The object of the game is to get to the exit in as short time as possible and there’s no GAME OVER for taking too long.

Button play option available

Although the game is meant for playing by tilting the iPhone, you also have the option of playing with buttons instead. However, I do find that it’s much more fun to play with the accelerometer instead but the button option is there. This can make the game a bit more fun as you can play in a different way.

Ball unlock (three for each world)

There are three locked balls for each world (Forest, Desert, Water) which you can unlock as you keep playing the game, which can be quite fun, especially when you discover that you’ve unlocked a ball after playing for a while. This obviously add to the fun element of the game and entices you to keep playing.

I Didn’t Like:

No volume slider

Most of you already know what I have to say. I can never understand why sometimes certain games don’t offer a volume slider instead of a toggle for sounds. I’m one of those who prefer a volume slider instead of the ON/OFF switch.

No trophy unlock or display

This is somewhat unusual from Astraware as there is no “trophy” to be won or display case. Many Astraware games offer such bragging displays that I enjoy seeing and getting and unfortunately, I can’t find one in Funkyball Worlds. Perhaps I’ve missed something here.

No bonus stages or side games

I personally find that a game can be greatly enhanced if there is some “bonus” games, stages, rounds, levels offered in addition to the main game. There is no other non-full multi-level game that Funkyball offers that could be a quick game I can play in between chores or something. I would have liked some “side” games that aren’t associated to the multi-level main game that I could just play off and on. However, there isn’t.

Review Summary

Funkyball Worlds is quite a different game than most as it relies on and the game play is based on the iPhone’s accelerometer. You tilt the iPhone in varying angles and directions to move and control the “Funkyball” through a course of platforms and avoid obstacles that could get in your way. The object of the game is to get through the level in the least time possible. Sounds simple enough, but much more difficult to accomplish. The game offers 3 different difficulty “worlds” each with 24 levels of game play so getting through isn’t going to be easy. The game enjoyment is enhanced via OpenFeint which connects to Facebook and Twitter as well as its own social platform as you connect with friends and make new friends. Although the game is time based, you can still play the game practically without any stress as long as you don’t mind finishing a level in a lot longer than most. This game can appeal to all ages as it transcends age being that it is so simple to play and hard to master. Regardless, you’ll definitely enjoy playing no matter which level you’re on.

Enjoyed this review? Check out the many other Palm Discovery software reviews here such as palm os software review, windows-mobile software review, symbian os software review, iPhone and ipod touch software review.

Thanks for visiting

Current Deals:
Use Skype for cheap SMS
New James Bond - Devil May Care - Listen at audible.co.uk with FREE Trial
Download personalised nursury rhymes for your child at audible.co.uk See Available Names

Check out more Deals from , and our Current Deals and Specials Page

: archives categories software-review reviews iphone ipod-touch astraware handmark games funkyball-worlds funkyball accelerometer tilt facebook twitter openfeint forest-world fores desert desert-world water water-world gamelion wReview-Wednesday