Let's get this out the way. Magic Orbz is Arkanoid with lush 3D visuals and some very fun power ups. The only thing magic about the orbs in question is the amount of destruction they do, and as usual with this type of game, why they never travel where you want them to. Now don't get the wrong idea right off the bat, this game is not being maligned. We're just explaining the experience in its simplest terms before we explore further... so let's do that now.

Now if you're watching our video review right now, or have seen any screenshots of the game, on first glance you might wonder how this is a Breakout clone. The same thought occurred when the first level loaded up.. but then after you're asked to launch your ball (or orb in this case) it all becomes clear, familiar, and kind of amusing. The first area is pirates (with jungles being opened later, along with a special Christmas themed Santa world just in time for the holidays). The level is cleared when the head honcho pirate has been capsized and is headed down to the bottom of the murky deep. Other obstacles and pirates litter the stage, and pretty much everything is destructible, and broken into small segments that disappear as they are hit (some floating a power-up down your way if you're lucky enough to grab it with the paddle). Your paddle is controlled by the left and right arrows on their respective sides of the screen, and all weapon power-ups fire automatically, and really, shooting high caliber laser beams or cannons at giant sharks or tiny wooden rafts is a game highlight.

The problem is that for all the lush visuals, and variety of humorous starting situations in each level, that's all there is to this game visually. Everything when hit just breaks off and sinks. It's kind of like one of those old shooting galleries at the arcade, brimming with amusing possibilities, but whatever you fire at, be it the piano, the ostrich, or the beer on the bar, you get the same anti-climactic exclamation of, “Nice shot”. The excitement is all front-loaded, and really it just turns into a game we've all played far too many times before. I guess there is a reason to keep playing just to see what each new level brings before it turns into the same old game, but that's really up to the player to decide if that's enough for them. Magic Orbz is an Arkanoid clone. It's a different looking one to be sure, but underneath the visuals and bombastic power-ups is a classic game, same as it ever was, with all it pros and cons pretty well kept intact. Take that as you will.