BasketBelle is an experimental 2D basketball-based platformer. Each Chapter of the game uses the mechanics and idea of basketball in a different way. At one point you might be dribbling inside the intestines of a purple blob creature (what?). At others, you're likely to be dunking above the clouds in front of the Parisian moon. It gets a little weird, and I like that. BasketBelle was originally created as an experiment in synchronizing audio with interactive visuals. This has stayed true through its development, as the main character's dribbles create the bass kicks for the music in each Chapter. There was also a desire to try something new with basketball - its mechanics perfect for a videogame; its application mostly being confined to a court. As an additional change of pace, a love story was introduced, but this time dealing with the love of family members and not so much romantic love as has been explored in previous games.
A very well done masterpiece of puzzle-platform gaming. The only problem with this game is that it's short (I beat it in about one hour), but if you think games are too long nowadays, it might not be a bad thing.
Anyway, the idea of having a basketball be the equivalent of a portal gun is novel in and of itself, but this game is also incredible because of the design. The faux cardboard visuals are beautiful, and the chiptune-influenced soundtrack complements the gameplay well. The puzzles themselves are challenging, but not so challenging that you'll ever have to give up and consult a walkthrough.
So, this game may be an hour long, but it's definitely one of the best hours of gaming you'll have all year.
The game was good and I hate to be the one to knock it down a few notches but it's not without flaws. I really liked the art, a very graffiti look to it, the music was pretty great too. The gameplay was pretty unique, finding a way to move the obstructions to clear a path so you can make your shot, that was kind of cool. The biggest flaw this game has, and it's kind of a doozy, is the length. It's really hard to recommend a game that can be beaten in under an hour. Lots of potential here, I really enjoyed what there was, it was just so short!
This game simply has it all: a touching story, unique presentation, great music, and intuitive gameplay. It's not short to the point where it seems a waste, andd it's not long enough to the point that it seems to drone on and on. It's a great game.
This game was a really great experience. It gives you enough touching, relateable drama to really feel fear for your sister, Belle, while maintaining a mood of adventure that helps you stay the course in your search. The way the art, animation, gameplay and music all came together so harmoniously also sent chills down my spine at times.
While some have been put off by the short length and I certainly wouldn't mind seeing a bit more, there's some real meat presented here well worth the price of admission. It's also nice to have such a deep, solid game to revisit without making a major commitment in time or energy.
My only problem with the game was the couple times I felt really lost as to what I should do in some of the gameplay sequences. As a sort of gameplay anthology, the author did well in his interface instruction, but a few parts dragged on endlessly until I accidentally stumbled over how to actually make some real progress. When I think about how much of the total game time I spent in these ruts, it stings a bit, though this won't be any issue in future playthroughs.
A fun playthrough. The game is short, but that is a good thing. Just as I was getting bored with it, I finished.
As others have said, the gameplay is all basketball based, but that doesn't it keep it from being innovative and fun. There are a few parts that I felt like I only beat by taking advantages of glitches, but the story made me work through them.