If you had a Playstation 2 you will remember the EyeToy camera. At the time it was seen as the future for gaming arguably inspiring Xbox Kinect the camera would track players movement for the consoles games. The games weren’t that advanced, in-fact they usually had you waving your hands like you had just seen your friend, jumping like a Kangaroo or running on the spot like a runner prior to a race. 

Okay that makes it sound bad, but at the time people loved it. I can remember clearly playing Eyetoy sports with my friends as our parents looked on in what could only be described as bemusement. Eventually over the years the desire to play this diminished and it just became one of those phases in gaming people will remember from their childhoods. Australian based developer Alistair Mann is looking to replicate this experience on mobile devices with upcoming game Whacky ball. 

Like the Eyetoy camera whacky ball uses motion to track the player. To play you place your phone on a flat surface such as a table or side. Using your hand or head as the controller you must keep the ball bouncing, and on the screen for a set amount of time before hitting it into the corresponding net or goal. You have 4 lives, with each life being lost every time you let the ball drop. The more times you keep the ball up and score, the higher the score.

Originally the game can be hard to get the hang of, but after a few games you eventually get the knack of things and figure out the best way to keep the ball up. I decided the best way was by using my head, had someone walked in whilst I was playing they would have only been able to assume I was having a fit. There are 3 game difficulties easy, tricky and insane, which truly is insane and also a practice level which is good to start with. There is an array of balls to play with including a football, soccer ball and volleyball among others.

Whacky Ball is a game that truly brought back some nostalgia for me, as I am sure it will do for others. The Perth developer plans for an April release date and is already hard at work on more game modes.