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Genre: Arcade Action

Developer: Big Fish Games

Minimum System Requirements: 400MHz G3, Mac OS X, 128MB RAM

Price: $19.99

Demo: 20.4MB (must provide e-mail address)

Fizzball has a "Kids' Mode." I find this somewhat amusing, as Fizzball is a kids' game. Imagine if Super Mario Brothers had a "Jump Around Mode" or "Grand Theft Auto" had an "I Need Some Way to Rebel Against My Affluent and Fairly Decent Parents Without Fear of Legal Repercussions So I'll Play a Hyper-Violent Video Game for Far Too Long Because it's More Fun Than Becoming a Vegetarian and Allows Me to Continue to Eat Cheeseburgers Mode." That's what a Kids' Mode in Fizzball is like...which isn't to say that I never used it. In fact, I did. Quite a bit.

Before I get to that, though, Fizzball is Breakout with an eco-friendly, robot accepting, alien sympathizing theme. You are Professor Fizzwizzle, because, with a name like that, no one else wants to be. The Professor has built some sort of rail system across a series of islands, and he ends up using it in a very unique way when the island becomes deserted of human life, leaving the animals behind to fend for themselves. I was always under the impression that animals on islands generally saw humans as a bit of a nuisance, but these animals depend upon human life, so it's up to the good Professor to keep them fed. He does this with a bubble. And his train.

After launching the bubble, it bounces around the screen—smashing into boxes, fences, trees, etc.—and must be kept in play by Fizzwizzle as he slides his train car back and forth along the track. The bubble starts out quite little, but as it's kept in play and rolls over various small items, it grows, allowing it to trap larger creatures. Eventually, it's big enough to catch even a cow or two. Once all the animals on the screen have been collected, they're placed in an animal sanctuary (which is funded by the coins you collect on each screen), and it's on to the next level.

Of course, there are hazards along the way. Someone has left barrels of radioactive waste laying around, and it's important to not smash those up, of course. Also, there are the UFOs. You're not alone, though. There are the typical power-ups that float your way: items such as magnets, destructo rays, coins, etc.

What separates Fizzball from other Breakout clones are the mission-type objectives. Rather than simply to destroy pieces of a wall, your goal is to break through barriers to rescue animals. As in a game of pinball, you often have to do these in a certain order. Along the way, you'll find various bonus levels to play, and you'll often be diverted from your path to complete various side quests, such as a mission to round up all the panda bears.

The game's story is also a bit more in depth than what you'd expect. Instead of going with the traditional "An alien race is taking over the world and the only way to stop them is to smash through a lot of wall" bit, Fizzball presents a basic but charming tale that is told in comic book style between levels. There are still aliens, yes, but their intentions are a bit more noble, if not misguided. The game's graphics and color match the lighthearted story; bright and vivid, like something out of a children's picture book. The audio is equally charming and upbeat, with lively but unobtrusive music and good ambient effects.

Obviously, a game such as Fizzball is going to be family friendly, which generally also means not very challenging. But, if your child is having trouble keeping that ball in play, Big Fish has included the aforementioned "Kids' Mode," which makes it impossible to lose. Kids' Mode places a barrier at the bottom of the screen so that any bubbles that get past Professor Fizzwizzle's train simply bounce back up into play. It's possible to complete a level without once using Professor Fizzwizzle, and this was just perfect for my three year old daughter. Without having to worry about actually, you know, playing the game, she was free to concern herself with more important things, such as finding the birds in the trees, counting the cows or explaining to me that the Flash Gordon bobble head in her room talks to her at night.

Fizzball boasts over 180 levels, but they all play pretty much the same way; smash some boxes, collect the animals, move along. Kids will get a kick out of it, and parents will appreciate the educational aspect; between each round, Professor Fizzwizzle asks the gamer an animal related question. Some are just a matter of identifying a sound, while others can be quite difficult. (Seriously, a group of frogs is called an "army?" Who knew they were so organized? And violent?)

Whether your young gamer will have the desire to play through 180 levels of Fizzball, i can't say. As always, you can download the demo to see if he'll make it through those levels. It's enjoyable enough, though, and can be played without pressure of failure. Who knows, maybe that'll give your child the confidence and sense of self-worth necessary to foster a positive parent/child relationship that won't lead to rebellion and vegetarianism...and isn't the ability to eat a gyro without grief from your kids worth $19.99?

Download Fizzball.