Glover

"Innovative, if not a little frustrating."

Introduction: Hey folks. I've had Glover since I got my Nintendo 64, way back in the day. This has to be one of the more challenging games in my collection. This game is unlike any I've seen before.

Gameplay:

Here's the long story short: you get to go around, maneuvering a ball through various obstacles and levels. Sounds simple, right? Sadly, this game has some pretty bad controls necessary for the job at hand. The controls are just a tad slow for the kind of play necessary to get the ball successfully though the levels. You can also walk, climb, jump, and swim through various places in the level. Also, there are powerups that make your character large, or can make him walk on walls. The ball is of utmost importance; if it rolls off a cliff or gets deflated by a sharp object, you lose a life. And trust me, it is not fun running after a ball down a flight stairs, only to see it fall into an abyss. You can change the form of the ball into different shapes. There's the default rubber ball, which is essentially the most-used ball in the game; it can bounce off surface, can be used as a trampoline, etc. However, it's not exactly durable against enemy attacks and sometimes isn't effective when fighting certain enemies. Also, the ball has a tendency to start rolling off in general. Also, you can change the ball into a giant bowling ball. Much larger and more durable than the default rubber ball, but it is incredibly difficult to steer around obstacles and can be hard to catch up with once it gains speed. You can also change the ball into a metal ball bearing, which is tiny, durable, and can be used as a weight when going underwater. last but not least, the ball can be changed into a green gem. According to the story, this is ball's true form. However, it is extremely fragile. If it breaks, you're toast. You use the different forms of the ball to traverse the different levels, and the balls can activate certain switches that open up more areas of the level.

Story: It's an epic story of...a glove. A wizard is brewing some chemicals and the brew accidentally explodes, leaving the wizard cast in stone. The wizard's gloves fly off his hands due to the blast. One glove flies out a window and lands in the courtyard below. The other hand falls into a mixture labeled pure evil. Also, the wizard's green crystals, which protect the kingdom from danger and evil, are flung from the castle and into various regions. To protect the crystals from shattering, a protective seal is formed around each crystal, in the form of a rubber ball. Your goal is to retrieve find all the balls, bring them back to the castle safely, and bring the kingdom back to order, all while trying to survive against the evil glove and his minions.

Sound/Graphics:

Actually, not too shabby. The game is actually on the quiet side. Since your character doesn't technically have a mouth, it's kind of hard for it to make noises. Music is actually one of the better things about this game. It can be soothing, letting you figure out how to get past an obstacle or waiting for a moving platform.


Play Time/Replayability: Unless you've got a lot of patience and a knack for superior control handling, this game will get old fast. However, this game is definitely a challenge that can't be ignored.

Final Recommendation: I give you a fair warning: be prepared for a challenge and a test of your patience.

Reviewer's Score: 7/10, Originally Posted: 01/26/04