FastBall – Review

Stripping away any unnecessary baggage like a cutsey central character, complicated controls, or fancy schmancy graphics, FastBall is instead all about the speed: precision timed jumps or sudden death.

And this pared down approach to platforming works incredibly well. Playing as a rolling ball, you hurtle through vibrant levels, collecting as many golden stars as you can, while leaping over obstacles and between platforms. 

Jumping is executed by simply tapping anywhere on the screen. This one-finger style of play may sound overly simplistic and a bit unsophisticated but, believe me, it’s necessarily so given the rapid pace of the game.

Making it to the end of the increasingly fiendishly devised levels requires split-second decision making, quick reflexes and your undivided attention. The first few stages act in lieu of a tutorial, easing you into the nerve-shredding escapades, before difficulty levels are soon ramped up.

Quick thinking, along with that fast finger, is needed when presented with multiple paths through certain levels. Should you just get to the exit as speedily as possible, or risk it all by seeking out the more precariously positioned stars?

Don’t ask me. But despite hitting a wall at 100mph or plunging to my doom every 30 seconds, I honestly never found FastBall frustrating and was always compelled to give a tough stage just one more go…or two…or three…until I finally cracked it.

Overall, there’s hours of fun to be had here, frantically jabbing the screen, hunting down hard to reach stars and trying to top your best score. Throw in a gruelling marathon mode and online leaderboards and FastBall represents superb value for 99 cents. 

Score: 8 out of 10