Pig Eat Ball from Mommy’s Best Games

My first impression of Pig Eat Ball from Mommy’s Best Games was a little ambivalent. It’s different, that’s for sure. It doesn’t fall into the norms of standard arcade games. After spending a couple of hours playing, it began to dawn on me that I was enjoying something special.

Known for previous arcade titles Shoot 1UP and Serious Sam Double D XXL, Mommy’s Best Games are no strangers to the genre. Each game they have developed has been unique, meaning that Pig Eat Ball had a legacy to live up to. I think it’s obvious just from the title alone that players should expect the unexpected.

Take the Veil Bacon Taxt

Players take control of a (spoiler alert) pig. The movement of this pig isn’t exactly realistic; she moves rather quickly and smoothly – fitting for an arcade title. The pig is perpetually performing a sucking motion, in order to suck up (another spoiler here) balls. I hope your mind didn’t go immediately to the gutter as mine tends to; I’m obviously referring to tennis balls. Each level is short, often with a time limit. Most of the objectives in each level require sucking up every tennis ball while avoiding obstacles and enemies or just solving puzzles to be able to access all the balls.

Sounds a little simplistic, so the developers of Pig Eat Ball added a couple of neat tricks for the pig to perform. While going through the levels and sucking up the balls, the pig gets rather portly. This prevents it from fitting through certain gaps.

The solution to this predicament is, of course, to vomit the balls out. In animated green, gushy glory. Of course, those balls must be reclaimed, whether they are covered in vomit or not. A little gross for some, but it adds character to the game. Not to mention it’s cute to see a little NPC bug all grossed out, completely covered in pig vomit, not unlike green Nickelodeon slime.

Roulette Dares (The Haunt of Ham)

There are over 100 levels to complete in Pig Eat Ball, and each one, or several, live inside a clam. Once each level is completed, the clam will give you a pearl. Collect all the pearls in each world to fight the boss at the end. Various fun items and disguises can also be equipped to boost attributes.

It’s a fun presentation of gameplay elements because of their arbitrary nature. This flying pig is on a space station. Her father is a cake. Guard mice prevent access to higher levels. Clams have humorous dialogue. There are weird purple insects everywhere just playing tennis. It’s all very strange, but those who identify as odd themselves will feel sucked into this zany world.

If the aesthetic and identity of Pig Eat Ball isn’t enough to draw one in, the soundtrack by Hamdija Ajanovic is bound to leave a lasting impression. The subtle variation of these deep grooves make this a soundtrack to be remembered. Clearly influenced by the MIDI titans of the Sega Genesis and Super Nintendo days, these tracks do everything they can to add to the visuals and not take away from them.

Above all, Pig Eat Ball makes me feel nostalgic, even though it’s new. It brings me back to a simpler time: the early ‘90s. Playing Pig Eat Ball makes me feel like a kid again, racing home to play Commander Keen on a CRT monitor hooked up to my ridiculously expensive and noisy desktop tower. This game is loaded with charm. The puzzling levels and satisfying progression are sure to hook gamers, young and old alike.

Pig Eat Ball is available via the Microsoft Store, the PlayStation Store and Steam.

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Watch the official trailer for Pig Eat Ball below:

