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Remember Crossfire, the board-game where two players fire ball bearings at a puck? Well, Ballistix is based on the same concept, except that instead of fixed guns you get moveable arrows to fire the balls.

In two-player mode, each player attempts to push the puck through the opponent's goals. Various icons appear on the pitch and can be collected for extra points and special features (such as temporarily jamming your opponent's gun!).

Solo play is against gravity with you trying to get the ball into the upper goals. There are 64 progressively more difficult levels containing various obstacles such as bumpers, tubes, and holes which 'teleport' the ball to another hole.

Game options include number of balls per side, gravity and arrow power, and starting level (allowing access to later levels).

How dare this packaging call soccer silly?!? I mean, Ballistix is hardly an intellectual game, just firing little balls at a puck - there's not even any fouling! The one-player mode is a bit dull with similar bas-relief graphics and just gravity as an opponent.

Two-player games are much more fun and the numerous options add extra interest to a simple concept.

Blasting lots of balls at a puck to score goals is a limited idea. But all the venous icons, and weird layouts on some levels, add quite a bit in playability. In two-player mode it's good fun, causing lots of blisters on your firing finger to prove it. But it's a shame one-player mode has you fighting gravity rather than a computer player.

Presentation 78%
Lots of useful options, great loading screen, but inadequate instructions.

Graphics 79%
Attractive, sharp, and very fast moving.

Sound 70%
Varied spot FX and nice title tune.

Hookability 76%
Immediately playable, although the bonus/penalty icons can be confusing.

Lastability 68%
A nice variety of levels, although gameplay could prove ultimately repetitive in one-player mode.

Overall 72%
An entertaining two-player game.