BasketBelle
- September 12, 2014
- Studio Bean
Get on Steam"BasketBelle" is a single-player Fantasy Platformer game that uses basketball as its core mechanic in unique ways throughout its 8 chapters. The game features a stunning story of a sister who must be saved, accompanied by masterful cardboard visuals and a dynamic soundtrack that is directly tied to the gameplay. With its wholesome story and innovative approach to the platformer genre, BasketBelle promises a memorable and enjoyable experience.
PC
Windows
Reviews
- Charming and unique art style that enhances the overall experience.
- Engaging and heartwarming story about family and basketball, with multiple endings.
- Varied gameplay mechanics that keep the experience fresh, blending platforming and puzzle elements.
- Very short playtime, typically under an hour, which may not justify the price for some players.
- Controls can feel clunky and unresponsive, leading to frustration in certain sections.
- Limited replayability, as the game lacks hidden secrets or additional content after completion.
- story81 mentions
- 44 % positive mentions
- 52 % neutral mentions
- 4 % negative mentions
The story of this experimental platformer revolves around a young boy's heartfelt quest to rescue his sister from a purple alien goo, blending themes of family, love, and basketball in a whimsical, cartoon-like setting. While the narrative is simple and somewhat thin, it is praised for its warmth and emotional depth, effectively conveyed through charming visuals and engaging gameplay. Overall, players appreciate the unique storytelling approach, despite some critiques regarding its brevity and lack of complexity.
“The story is interesting and overall it's a good game for an evening.”
“This game eloquently tells a story about family, love, and basketball.”
“The story has lots of warm moments, and I was pleasantly surprised how in such a short span of time, such vivid feelings were conveyed.”
“The plot is simple; you play as a boy in search of his sister, who was kidnapped by a purple alien goo.”
“Conclusion: the story is too thin and could mean just about anything to anyone, leaving it telling nothing to no one.”
“The story doesn't make a lot of sense, although it's still enjoyable.”
- gameplay67 mentions
- 31 % positive mentions
- 64 % neutral mentions
- 4 % negative mentions
The gameplay of "Basketbelle" is a unique blend of basketball mechanics and platforming challenges, offering a variety of experiences across its short playtime. While the game features engaging visuals and a charming narrative, players have noted issues with clunky controls, occasional confusion in mechanics, and a lack of depth in some puzzles. Overall, the gameplay is enjoyable and innovative, but its brevity and some execution flaws may leave players wanting more.
“The game cleverly blends basketball with platforming, offering challenges from classic gameplay to intricate puzzles and sky-high dodging.”
“The basketball mechanics throughout, whether minimal or front-and-center in the level, were intuitive and fluid.”
“Each level is completely unique in the platforming or other mechanics required to figure out the level and progress in the story.”
“Theme and visual style are strong but not enough to make up for the limited puzzle gameplay and incomplete feeling basketball vs slimes.”
“However, the gameplay falls apart because of the unresponsive, clunky controls.”
“To sum up my opinion, great visuals and music but the gameplay really ruined my experience.”
- music41 mentions
- 49 % positive mentions
- 44 % neutral mentions
- 7 % negative mentions
The music in the game is widely praised for its seamless synchronization with gameplay, particularly the basketball dribbling sounds, which enhance the overall experience. Reviewers appreciate the captivating soundtrack, noting its charm and ability to match the game's visuals and action perfectly. Additionally, the inclusion of the soundtrack as part of the game package adds value, making it a standout feature for many players.
“The soundtrack perfectly syncs with the action, featuring reaction sounds that might just inspire some hoop dreams.”
“The soundtrack is on par with the visuals; the music always matches up with the action on screen perfectly.”
“The music is also amazingly synchronized to the gameplay action, as apparently the game design started out as an experiment in synchronizing music with gameplay action.”
“To sum up my opinion, great visuals and music but the gameplay really ruined my experience.”
“Sound department has some issues, certain sound effects made my ears hurt because they were too loud and they played too often. Other than that, I have to admit the idea of mixing the ball's hits with the music is clever and adds emotion into it.”
“The music is upbeat, but not captivating.”
- graphics41 mentions
- 44 % positive mentions
- 49 % neutral mentions
- 7 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are widely praised for their unique and captivating art style, which many describe as striking and reminiscent of comic book visuals. The visuals are complemented by a well-matched soundtrack, enhancing the overall experience, although some players note the game's minimalistic approach may not appeal to everyone. Overall, the presentation is considered the standout feature, contributing significantly to the game's charm despite its short length.
“The graphics and audio of this game are incredibly well-made and sort of a unique and great-looking style that seems ripped from a comic book.”
“The visuals are superb; the story is touching and the audio is pretty neat as well.”
“The art style is excellent and the sound design supports it well.”
“The graphics in this game are what you may call 'minimalistic', but in the many years I've been gaming, I've never seen an art style/graphics quite like this.”
“It also doesn’t feature any graphical settings apart from the fullscreen/windowed mode selector.”
“The graphics... it's an artsy game so it will be hit or miss.”
- emotional14 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The emotional aspect of the game is characterized by a heartwarming and touching narrative that resonates with players, often described as wholesome and reminiscent of a cartoon. Despite its brevity, the story is engaging and impactful, featuring beautiful visuals and a creative presentation that evokes a sense of nostalgia and humanity. Overall, players find the experience to be both meaningful and uplifting, making it a worthwhile journey.
“While simple, the story is still interesting and has lots of heartwarming moments.”
“At its heart, the familial narrative is touching and pleasant.”
“Though it takes but thirty minutes to play through, every moment of the experience is so creative and sweetly framed that it conveys a far more meaningful and touching narrative than its brief length would have you expect.”
- replayability8 mentions
- 25 % positive mentions
- 25 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
Overall, the game has been criticized for its lack of replayability, with many reviewers noting that once completed, there is little incentive to play again. Despite having multiple endings, players feel that the short length and frustrating final segment diminish the desire to revisit the experience. While some appreciate its charm and recommend it for a single playthrough, the consensus is that it offers minimal replay value.
“This game has so much replay value to it as well.”
“I wholeheartedly recommend Basketbelle if you're in the mood for a short and well-crafted interactive experience - the only real downside is that it doesn't have all that much replay value and is only about 30 minutes long, but on the other hand, that's exactly how long it should be.”
“Very cute little game, I recommend everyone to play through it just once, as there is no replayability at all.”
“This game also has no replay value; by the end of the game, you'll be so frustrated with it that you won't want to touch it again. The final segment isn't really fun; it's just trial and error that will keep you frustrated for at least 15 minutes, and the rest of the game doesn't encourage you to try it again either.”
“The gameplay is nice and a bit varied, but it is too short. Once you've gone through the game, you've seen it all; there is no replay value.”
- grinding3 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be a mixed experience; while it offers a heartwarming escape from more demanding titles, some feel that certain sections, like replaying the last chapter and the transition to puzzle platforming, can become tedious and detract from the overall enjoyment.
“One of the biggest complaints I have about Basketbelle is that it starts horribly as a game: the tutorial sets the right mood, but the next stage is just a boring and tedious puzzle platformer.”
“Only gripe is that replaying the last chapter three times is a bit tedious, but ehh.”
- optimization2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
The game's optimization has been widely criticized, with users reporting poor performance and subpar controls, leading to a frustrating experience.
“Terrible optimization and the controls are even worse.”
- atmosphere2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game's atmosphere is highly praised for its captivating art style and atmospheric soundtrack, which complement a light yet soulful narrative. Reviewers appreciate how these elements work together to create an engaging experience, enhanced by simple but rewarding gameplay mechanics.
“The art style, atmosphere, and story create an immersive experience that I would highly recommend.”
“Overall, the game features great art, an atmospheric soundtrack, a light yet soulful narrative, and simple but rewarding puzzles and basketball mechanics.”
