Well for once a game released as shareware with the quality better than some commercial games.

If like me you get this game and you decide to load it, you will be suprised by the quality it oozes, I couldn't believe that it was shareware, I thought someone had switched disk on me and given me a commercial game..

Upon loading the graphics are stunning on the intro screen with Mod files for the music which sound clear without any distortion and you can install your own mod files into the game if you have the memory. Will run on all Ataris from STFM's to the Falcon.

Let's get to the game...

The Pinball table is split into three scrolling screens and is very smooth with no flicker on my STE.

You will find a lot of the features of a normal pinball table plus a few extras that have been added that would be impossible to do on a real pinball table.

You get extra balls multipule bonuses...

Four bonus screens Invaders, Eggball, Archaball, and Llamaball. To get these bonus screens you need to complete the spaceship in the centre of the table, let the slime build up, I won't spoil the rest and make it too easy you will be able to find out when you play.. Each screen has it's own set of flippers which in affect splits the screen into there own mini table's which is a nice touch..

Thers absoloutely nothing bad about this you can say about this game as a computer pinball simulator it's as close as you can get to the real thing on a computer, and in my opinion gives you a better game of pinball than Obsession the only other half decent pinball game and that's a commercial game, Starball is so much more playable.

It's a shame the author is no longer around as it would be nice if you could get additional tables/modules to add to this great shareware game.

As far as I know the author can't be contacted anymore at the address in the doc's so unless someone know where to contact him I don't recommend you send the £5 shareware fee off. If someone out there does know how to contact him please let me know. As a few people would like to contact him with regard to updating the game, or doing something else for the Atari range of computers.

Bugs:

There is only one bug in the game that I have come across and you would have to get really good at the game and keep getting really high scores, and that is on loading a bonus screen for some reason the program can crash, but don't let this spoil it for you as it only happens rarely.

Starball is available from Goodmans International

Starball Reviewed by Stephen F Barszczak

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