InkBall
{{Short description|2004 video game}}
{{Distinguish|text=an ink ball, a predecessor to the brayer}}
{{Infobox video game
| width =
| title = InkBall
| collapsible =
| state =
| caption = Screenshot on Windows Vista
| developer = Microsoft
| publisher = Microsoft
| series =
| released = {{Start date and age|2004|08}}
| genre = Puzzle
| modes = Single-player
| platforms = Microsoft Windows
}}
InkBall is a computer game that is included with Windows XP Tablet PC Edition 2005{{cite book|title=Absolute Beginner's Guide to Tablet PCs|last=Mathews|first=Craig F.|year=2004|publisher=Que Publishing|isbn=0-7897-3049-9|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Z8yAcf03zwkC&pg=PA235|page=235}} and Windows Vista.{{Efn|(except the Starter and Home Basic editions)}} It employs the use of a stylus or mouse to draw lines to direct balls into holes of corresponding colors.
Gameplay
Points are awarded for putting colored balls in the correct hole, time left at the end of the round, and for breaking blocks.{{cite web |date=11 March 2012 |title=Inkball Gameplay |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=82iGa_UV8Hc |url-status=live |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211219/82iGa_UV8Hc |archive-date=2021-12-19 |access-date=20 January 2017 |publisher=YouTube}}{{cbignore}} The game is over when time runs out, or when a ball enters a hole of the wrong color. However, gray is a neutral color and therefore if a gray ball goes into the hole of a different color or if any ball goes into a gray hole nothing will happen. Some blocks have special properties, such as breaking when hit, opening and closing at intervals, changing the ball's color or making the ball accelerate. InkBall has a variety of difficulty levels, ranging from Beginner, to Novice, to Intermediate, to Advanced and finally to Expert. As the difficulty increases, the time to move the balls into their correct hole(s) is dramatically lowered, and the overall complexity of the task increases substantially.
Controls and compatibility
On Windows XP Tablet PC Edition, a pen tablet was required to play the game properly, as the mouse cursor was not visible inside the game window. However, pressing Alt twice while playing the game will cause the mouse cursor to show up. In Windows Vista, it can also be played using the mouse without any issues.{{Cite web|url=http://windowshelp.microsoft.com/Windows/en-US/help/c209fb0d-530b-43ce-954b-7c91aeca00131033.mspx |title=InkBall: how to play |publisher=Microsoft |access-date=2017-01-20 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070214130041/http://windowshelp.microsoft.com/Windows/en-US/help/c209fb0d-530b-43ce-954b-7c91aeca00131033.mspx |archive-date=February 14, 2007 }}
InkBall is not available for later versions of Windows, and is removed when users upgrade from Windows XP or Vista to Windows 7.
Reception
Benj Edwards of the website HowToGeek.com ranked it as the 14th best game ever included in Windows, commenting that it is "surprisingly hard to do" but is a "fun challenge".{{Cite web |last=Edwards |first=Benj |date=2022-07-18 |title=Every Game Microsoft Ever Included in Windows, Ranked |url=https://www.howtogeek.com/803643/every-game-microsoft-ever-included-in-windows-ranked/ |access-date=2024-12-06 |website=How-To Geek |language=en |archive-date=2022-10-15 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221015195624/https://www.howtogeek.com/803643/every-game-microsoft-ever-included-in-windows-ranked/ |url-status=live }} In a preview of the game on prerelease Windows Vista, GameSpot's James Yu thought that InkBall is difficult to play with the mouse as a controller.{{Cite web |title=A Look at Windows Vista Installed Games |url=https://www.gamespot.com/articles/a-look-at-windows-vista-installed-games/1100-6154558/ |access-date=2024-12-06 |website=GameSpot |language=en-US |archive-date=2013-06-15 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130615042010/http://www.gamespot.com/features/a-look-at-windows-vista-installed-games-6154558/?page=3 |url-status=live }}
See also
Notes
{{notelist}}
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- [http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/tabletpc/evaluation/overviews/pctools.mspx#EGD Windows XP Tablet PC Edition 2005: Tools to Use with Your Tablet PC]
{{Windows Components}}
Category:Discontinued Windows components
Category:Single-player video games