''JezzBall'' is a

video game Video games, also known as computer games, are electronic games that involves interaction with a user interface or input device such as a joystick, controller, keyboard, or motion sensing device to generate visual feedback. This fee ...

originally published for

Microsoft Windows Windows is a group of several proprietary graphical operating system families developed and marketed by Microsoft. Each family caters to a certain sector of the computing industry. For example, Windows NT for consumers, Windows Server for serv ...

in 1992. The player must capture parts of a rectangular space by dividing it with horizontal or vertical lines. While each line is being drawn it must not be touched by

bouncing ball The physics of a bouncing ball concerns the physical behaviour of bouncing balls, particularly its motion before, during, and after impact against the surface of another body. Several aspects of a bouncing ball's behaviour serve as an introd ...

s. ''JezzBall'' has similarities with ''

Qix is a 1981 puzzle video game developed by husband and wife team Randy and Sandy Pfeiffer and published in arcades by Taito America. ''Qix'' is one of a handful of games made by Taito's American division. At the start of each level, the playing f ...

'', a 1981

arcade game An arcade game or coin-op game is a coin-operated entertainment machine typically installed in public businesses such as restaurants, bars and amusement arcades. Most arcade games are presented as primarily games of skill and include arcade v ...

History

JezzBall was programmed by Dima Pavlovsky. It was published in 1992 as part of the ''

Microsoft Entertainment Pack ''Microsoft Entertainment Pack'' , also known as ''Windows Entertainment Pack'' or simply ''WEP'' , is a collection of 16-bit casual computer games for Windows. There were four Entertainment Packs released between 1990 and 1992. These games w ...

'' and later released within the '' Best of Microsoft Entertainment Pack''. Its name is also a

play on words Word play or wordplay (also: play-on-words) is a literary technique and a form of wit in which words used become the main subject of the work, primarily for the purpose of intended effect or amusement. Examples of word play include puns, phone ...

Jezebel Jezebel (;"Jezebel"
(US) and ) was the daughte ...

.{{Cite web , last=Pavlovsky , first=Dima , title=Win3 JezzBall , url=https://archive.org/details/win3_JezzBall , date=2022-07-04 , access-date=2016-01-31 , website=Mobygames.com , language=en The game was remade as a Modern UI app for

Windows 8 Windows 8 is a major release of the Windows NT operating system developed by Microsoft. It was Software release life cycle#Release to manufacturing (RTM), released to manufacturing on August 1, 2012; it was subsequently made available for downl ...

and later by Random Salad Games, under the name "Jezzball Galaxy".

Gameplay

The game starts with two atoms (red-and-white balls), bouncing about a room (the rectangular field of play). The player points at a position within the room and clicks to start building either vertical or horizontal lines, also called walls, from the pointer position, either up and down or left and right. If the walls reach the edge of the area without a ball colliding into them then the area bound by the line and not containing a ball is 'captured' and filled black. If a ball collides with a wall while it is building then the wall stops at that point and the player loses a life. The player has a time limit within which to capture at least 75% of the room's surface area. When that percentage is exceeded the level is complete and the player progresses to a fresh room with one more atom bouncing in it than in the previous level. There are an infinite number of levels, but from level 49 onwards every level starts with 50 atoms. The game is controlled by a standard pointing device such as a mouse. Right click alternates between horizontal and vertical orientation for wall creation and left click starts the walls building. The player begins each level with the same number of lives as there are atoms in that level. The game finishes if all lives are lost.

Clones

* ''Barrack'' * ''KBounce''
Jezzball in HTML/Javascript

JezzBall Atomic

References

1992 video games Windows-only games Puzzle video games Microsoft Entertainment Pack Video games developed in Russia

History

Gameplay

Clones

See also

References