Super Jumpy Ball was originally released in 2017 on Xbox, and was one of the first titles in the Xbox Live Creators Program. Since its release, its become a fan favorite of the program. In addition to Xbox, it can be found on PC, Android, and now Nintendo Switch.
Super Jumpy Ball is described as "a simple & fun 2D platform game for 1-8 players, inspired by retro platformers." The main goal of each level is to navigate your smiling, emoticon looking ball to the red flag, while avoiding any obstacles in your way. The faster you're able to complete the levels the higher on the global leaderboard you'll be. At the time of writing this, I'm in the number one spot. No big deal.
Throughout the 40 levels, the puzzles/challenges get slightly more complicated but never frustratingly so. To be honest, the puzzles almost seem TOO easy. I found that I was able to complete the majority of them without failing a single time. For added difficulty, each level also has a star that players can try for. While these stars are in more difficult locations, it never was clear to me what value they added. I didn't seem to earn anything by getting them. Perhaps you're a completionist and just NEED to get everything you can but personally, it would have been nice to receive some sort of achievement. Or have it taken into account in some way on the leaderboards.
It's important to mention that the times where I DID fail a level/puzzle, it was my fault and not because of the game. The controls of this game are fantastic! I always felt like the ball was doing EXACTLY what I wanted and when I wanted it to do it. I know that seems like it should be obvious but with recent titles such as Bloodstained having big issues, it's worth pointing out.
Completing the main game is very quick. I think it took me about an hour and that's counting all the times I replayed certain levels. However, in addition to the main 40 levels, there are other modes to try.
Basketball: Is what you would imagine. You're trying to get your little bouncing ball through the hoop. The challenge is that the hoop is moving around the screen and you only have two minutes to score as many points as you can. This mode was pretty fun! I kept going back to see if I could outdo my last score.
Endless Survivor: In this mode, you have to bounce for your life. The floor is covered in spikes and continues to move up without mercy. Simply stay ahead (or above). The longer you last, the higher your score.
Spike Battle: This is a multiplayer-only battle where each player tries to pop the other players' ball
Endless Runner: This single-player mode is similar to Endless Survivor. But instead of running from a floor of spikes, you're trying to last as long as you can by hitting flags to prevent the timer from running out.
It's easy to overlook Super Jumpy Ball based on its aesthetic. However, there is fun to be had with this game! I loved trying to work my way up the leaderboards and getting the best score. That being said, there's not a lot of playability. Once I completed the levels and played the other modes for a bit, I never felt as if I needed to go back to the game. For that reason, I cannot recommend this game at its current $5 price on the eShop. At most, this is a $2 game.
This game was reviewed by Michael Rivette who was provided a free code from the developer.
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