Have you ever stepped into an arcade and become instantly overwhelmed by flashing lights, bright colours, and loud noises? CRT screens flicker, speakers warble and neon signs pulsate. I’m not sure if it was intentional but Go Mecha Ball taps into the same energy. It’s set in a world with walls formed from TV screens, glowing ramps seemingly made from LCD panels, and neon colours adorning every surface. All of this is backed by an EDM-style soundtrack, not dissimilar to the melody of arcade machines showcasing their attract modes.
Go Mecha Ball falls into a genre not commonly found in arcades. It’s a twin-stick Roguelike shooter, set in an isometric world filled with ramps and bumpers. Together with the ability to roll around in a ball and slam into enemies, it recalls SEGA’s Sonic 3D Blast. Hopefully, I won’t be the only reviewer to make that comparison. Rolling around is not only essential for keeping the pace breakneck, but it also serves as an attack, ramming enemies off the side of the stage or killing them outright in return for a small ammo clip. It’s a fun mechanic too, and true to its inspiration, some stages have chutes that connect upper and lower levels.
Gunfire is raucous and backed up glitzy effects. Weapons vary wildly too in terms of range, spread, and stopping power. Two can be carried at once, and initially just a small batch are available, mostly falling into a ‘real world’ category. Assault rifles, shotguns, etc. Soon, the weapon pool expands to include searing lasers, and types that walk the line of novelty. Ammo is scarce, encouraging use of the roll attack. That, and two additional moves gained as perks mid-stage, again from a pool. These include a ground pound, an EMP charge, mines, and grenades – each on a cooldown.
Structurally, it isn’t anything extraordinary. The pool of weapons, abilities, and perks starts off small as you head into a succession of stages, each with a boss. Stages and perks are randomised, while bosses appear in the same order, becoming increasingly tougher. Once you die, that’s your lot – you’re shown how long you lasted, along with the chance to play again or return to the menu. Upon retrying, currency (blue chips, in this instance) can be spent on acquiring new weapons, abilities and upgrades. These will assist in reaching further than before. In theory, at least.
Being a Roguelike, you’re always going to garner a random assortment of items; some more beneficial than others. Sometimes you’ll get lucky and find powerful weapons and a perk to increase firepower, while other times only the ‘spin dash’ move and ammo count are improved. I’m not sure why the developers opted against permanent upgrades. The moment-to-moment action is at least fair, being remarkably easy to read despite the fast pace. Areas about to be ignited by incoming fire are highlighted in good time, while charging enemies have their paths laid out, again well in advance. Some enemies must also be attacked from behind, or shot directly in their glowing weak spot – and having to switch things up occasionally makes for a demanding experience.
Bosses dish up the most trouble, requiring their attack patterns to be experienced a few times over before consigning them to memory. If you enter a boss room with very little health and a weak weapon, chances of survival are slim. There is, thankfully, a shop to visit before a battle which can tip the scales in your favour. Here, three random items are presented; and usually, currency flows freely enough that two can be purchased, topping up (read: not fully replenishing) health and ammo. Alternatively, currency can be invested in unlocking new characters.
Due to the perks being quite samey, and later stages becoming more rollercoaster alike and less refined, Go Mecha Ball relies heavily on its stylish presentation. First to draw you in, and then to keep your senses assaulted and coming back for more. Once the visual lustre wears off, being thwarted by the same boss several times in a row can be disheartening, and there isn’t much in the way of a helping hand for those hitting brick walls. A few accessibility options wouldn’t have gone amiss. I can imagine some people rebounding off it once the ‘honeymoon period’ is over. While that lasts though, Go Mecha Ball is a blast – and no, that isn’t a tenuous link to Sonic 3D.
Super Rare Games’ Go Mecha Ball is out now on PC and Xbox One. Developed by Whale Peak Games.