NBA Ball Stars is a sports game from Netmarble US Inc. which infuses fast-paced and skillful basketball action with a gem-bursting puzzle game. This unique mix of action and puzzle allows players to take control of an NBA Team comprised of NBA Stars, customize and create line-ups and create a strong team to win the championship. The gem-bursting puzzle game also goes hand in hand with the action, and enables you to power up players to increase their defensive and offensive skills, and unlock special players skills to make faster in-game progress. It is now time for us to find out what this action and puzzle combo game has in store for us.
The Gameplay
The game begins with you choosing an NBA team to manage, and then facing other teams in an action-filled, quick and intense game of basketball, which incorporates the gem-bursting puzzle game. In the game, your team participates in both shooting and defending by controlling players whose moves depend on the way you play the puzzle game. In the puzzle game, the gems are of various colors and the bigger the cluster of gems you tap the bigger percentage increase your player receives while shooting and defending.
While playing offense, you have to tap on the gems that matches your player’s color to increase your shooting percentage, and while on the offensive tapping on your player’s color will decrease your opponent’s shooting percentage. The goal is to reach 100% while shooting and reach 0% while defending, and upon reaching these numbers the shot gets triggered even if there are moves left in the puzzle.
The gem bursting comes with Power-ups which increases both the shooting and defending percentage with the help of Power Gems. Power Gems clears lots of gems at once, and depending on the size of the gem cluster they have different abilities. Tapping 5 gems of the same color clears columns, 6 gems clear rows, 7 to 9 gems clear an area while 10 gems clear gems of a specific color respectively. Each NBA player comes with a special skill, and tapping on gems that matches the player’s color charges that player’s special skill, which can be unleashed once it is fully charged. With all these in mind, you can create numerous strategies, formations, and line-ups to best suit your team and ensure victory. You can also challenge real players, collect rare rewards and climb up the leaderboard to become the ultimate champion.
The Controls
If you have played gem-bursting puzzle games then you’ll get used to the game in no time, as the game simply involves you tapping on the gems you wish to burst. The only addition to the game is the inclusion of the portrait of the player you are playing with in the bottom of the display. Tapping on the portrait of the player, after the skill is fully charged enables your player to perform its own signature move. The game comes with a tutorial mode which does a great job of helping you get accustomed to the game’s controls in no time.
The Graphics
NBA Ball Stars: Play with your Favorite NBA Stars comes with outstanding graphics and animations and this is evident during the gameplay. The players are well-illustrated, with excellent attention to detail, and all their moves from dribbling, to shooting, to blocking, and performing their signature skills are very well-executed and exhibit superb gaming mechanics. Whereas on the puzzle game front, there is nothing to complain about as the gems are well-designed and the bursting transitions of regular gems as well as Power gems are done in a smooth and pleasing manner. The graphics of this game deserve praise for handling both the action and puzzle aspects of the game in an excellent manner.
In Conclusion
NBA Ball Stars: Play with your Favorite NBA Stars, does a great job at merging two different game genres i.e., Action and Puzzle without making it complicated or difficult to play. This is evident in the gameplay as both the action and puzzle elements of the game are very well delivered, offering a very immersive experience at all times. Not once, did it feel odd while interacting with both genres in the game, and the experience was quite seamless. If you are love both action and puzzle games or want to experience a multi-genre game then NBA Ball Stars: Play with your Favorite NBA Stars, is definitely worth checking out. The game is available for download both on the Google Play Store and the App Store.
