The Ball Is Too Fast... Review

The official title of the app, if you were wondering, is The Ball Is Too Fast, The Game Is Too Slow, The Name Is Too Long. I'm all for using official titles in app reviews, but as the title says, the name was, in fact, a bit too long for titling the app review.

At its core, The Ball Is Too Fast is a cross between Breakout and Pong. The board is set up with you and your opponent on opposite sides of the screen, and a whole mess of blocks in the middle, and a ball on either side. To win, you have to knock as many balls past the enemy as possible, first breaking their shield and then killing them outright.

As you play, the ball speed will gradually increase, and you can further increase the speed by using your paddle's built-in spring. If you want to get really tricky, you can put some spin on the ball by sliding your paddle while the ball is striking. I found that I could beat the computer pretty soundly without it, however. Further chaos ensues when various types of blocks start appearing in later levels. Some blocks shoot bombs at your opponent, some give you power boosts, and some reappear after being gone for a period of time.

The Ball Is Too Fast offers a one player story mode, complete with a human vs. robot struggle for your soul, and a two player mode, story not included. The one player mode will last you a fairly long time with its 35 levels, but the two player mode is where the fun really is. On my iPhone, a friend and I could sit and play on either side of the screen with relative ease. An iPad screen would provide a much more comfortable gaming environment, but I guess beggars can't be choosers.

If you are a fan of Pong and Breakout, or are just looking for a way to pass a few minutes here and there, The Ball Is Too Fast is a great buy. It's not exactly the deepest game out there, but it's quite fun for what it is.