Overview
- Number of Players
- 2
- Genre
- Release Date
WiiWare
- 26th Jan 2009, 500 points
- 19th Dec 2008, 500 points
- Controller Support
- Official Site
- niki.bplus.at
Reviews
Review Niki - Rock 'n' Ball (WiiWare)
Not completely on the ball
This second WiiWare release from Bplus is a bit of a departure from their "everything-and-the-kitchen-sink" debut outing Plättchen, attempting to recapture some arcade magic via simple goals and score attacking. Whilst the presentation and controls do the job, odd choices in level design and lacklustre gameplay...
Screenshots 20
Niki - Rock 'n' Ball News
News USA WiiWare Update: Niki - Rock 'n' Ball
The only game today on WiiWare for North America is Niki - Rock ‘n’ Ball by Austrian developers, Bplus. It is a new interpretation of the unforgettable Arcade classics such as Bubble Bobble or Snow Bros, where the only goal is to vanquish all opponents to reach the next stage. Of course there are a few twists to bring the gameplay up to date.
Th...
News Bplus Releases Part Two of Exclusive Soundtrack
If you're one of those gamers who enjoyed the first part of the exclusive soundtrack Bplus recently released, you're in for a treat as they've just released the second part of the soundtrack on their web site forums for your listening enjoyment. And once again, it's completely free of charge!
Below is the official press release which gives the...
News Niki - Rock 'n Ball Released in the US Next Week
Yet another WiiWare game's US release date has been confirmed in advance - You can expect Niki - Rock 'n Ball in the Wii Shop next Monday, the 26th.
After the disappointment of Plättchen: Twist 'n' Paint, we must admit we didn't have high hopes for this game, but when it was released in Europe we actually found it quite good, and, at just 500 Wii...
News Bplus Releases Exclusive Soundtrack
Well if you're one of those gamers who enjoys a good video game soundtrack, Bplus has got just what you're looking for. Bplus has just released part 1 of their soundtrack series on their web site forums for all to download. And the best part is that it's completely free of charge!
Below is the official press release which gives the details of the...
News EU WiiWare Update: World Of Goo And Lots More!
With only one week to go until Christmas, it seems that Nintendo are full of festive cheer and have prepared the mother of all WiiWare updates to ensure your holiday season kicks off with a bang.
First up with have the sublime World of Goo, what more can be said about this great game which hasn’t already been said? If you been living in a cave or...
News Niki - Rock 'n' Ball Coming To European WiiWare This Friday
Bplus has just announced that their newest WiiWare title Niki - Rock 'n' Ball is set to hit the European WiiWare service this Friday, December 19th for a mere 500 Wii Points. After seeing video of the game in action, we're looking forward to taking the game for a spin once it's released. Below is the official press release for the game and the official Niki - Rock 'n' Ball site has also just launched that you can check out for even more details on the game.
Bplus, independent software develope...
News Bplus Gets The Ball Rolling With Niki – Rock 'n' Ball
Bplus might not have had the most auspicious start to WiiWare publishing, but you have to give this tiny independent developer credit for sticking at it. Today the studio has announced its second WiiWare title, called Niki – Rock 'n' Ball.
Here's the glorious details, straight from the horse's mouth, so to speak: Niki – Rock 'n' Ball is a new...
About The Game
Are you in love with those unforgettable arcade classics where the only goal is to vanquish all opponents to reach the next stage?
Niki - Rock 'n' Ball is a new interpretation of those games with a completely innovative and unique gaming mechanism. Roll along with Niki through fantastic worlds, find all the ZeLeLi pearls, and liberate your village from cuddly-yet-evil monsters before it's too late. Timing is everything. Jump in the nick of time to avoid landing amid barbs. Hop across the stages thanks to the realistic gaming physics. Snap on the ZeLeLi amulet, transform yourself into Niki Rock, and force even the most obstinate monster to its knees. Explore all the stages and win valuable medals while dribbling through them, alone or with a friend. Use familiar controls in Retro style, or experience novel controls in the Wii style.
Comments 16
"beautiful 2.5D graphics" Err... No. Looks more like a PS1 game than a Wii game.
The first game I`ve seen that emediately would get a 1/10 from me!
Holy crap.
I'm one of the few people who actually liked Plättchen but this looks truly horrible. Playing this must be a whole lot of fun to make up for the headache inducing visuals...
*hopes it proves everyone wrong
I agree with KS8, if you think that it looks that bad, you need to get on down to Specsavers.
Oh - and according to the press release on the BPlus 'site, it has been rated by the ESRB and PEGI boards, so hopefully we'll be getting it fairly soon!
I MIGHT get this. It doesn't seem they can seriously ruin this.
@Nintendork: that's what they said about Midnight Bowling.
Either way, I'd expect this to go pretty well.
ADDED: Hey you guys - Bplus interview RE: Niki and Plattchen!
@Wiiloveit. Just spotted it through gonintendo.com
@Starwolf_UK: Thanks for that - I didn't realise it was mentioned there! I feel special inside, now.
The Nintendo channel confirms this game for Friday according to N-Europe. I don't know what else it confirms (if anything) but at the very least this game will go against Art Style: Orbiant.
The flipside is Niki is only 500 Wii Points.
Bplus tell me that the date featured is most likely a mistake, since it's still being tested and whatnot, although the fact that the date shown on the Nintendo Channel is actually a WiiWare day, and the fact that the game has already been PEGI rated seem to suggest different.
@comment 10
Seems like Bplus is learning from their overpricing mistakes
@Nintendork: they claim it is because PLATTCHEN took one and a half year to make, whereas this took a lot less.
so what is the verdict from someone who has played it.
I downloaded this last night and it isn't bad. (1) The whole initial 'menu' thing (picking a level and starting a game) is confusing because you just seem to start playing without warning and (2) the 'jump' physics take a lot of getting used to because they're nothing like Mario's (which platformers emulate). However, considering all of my gripes, this title isn't bad overall. Interesting and worth the 500 points.
Good game. The controls themselves are a bit of a learning curve but nothing completely frusturating or poorly developed. The music is a bit annoying at times, but there are a couple good tracks in the mix. Good graphics, fun platforming, co-op is a blast (and shared lives keeps it so both of you must master the controls and not screw each other's moves up; it's all too easy to accidentally jump into your opponent and send him to his death, at times) gets challenging quickly... A good game, especially at a measly $5.
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