Iggy's Reckin' Balls[a] is a racing video game developed by Iguana Entertainment and published by Acclaim Entertainment for the Nintendo 64. It was originally released in August 1998. It involves a set of ball characters with faces and unique personalities that race around a series of vertical obstacle courses in order to win medals. The characters use grappling hooks to climb to other platforms and attack other players. The game is named after Iggy, who is the main character. Iggy represents the developer's mascot, an iguana.
| Iggy's Reckin' Balls | |
|---|---|
 North American cover art | |
| Developer(s) | Iguana Entertainment |
| Publisher(s) | Acclaim Entertainment |
| Designer(s) | Jools Watsham |
| Programmer(s) | Carl Wade Ian Dunlop |
| Platform(s) | Nintendo 64 |
| Release | |
| Genre(s) | Platformer, racing |
| Mode(s) | Single-player, multiplayer |
Upon its release, the game received mixed reviews from critics. In 2024, the game was re-released through the Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack.[3]
Gameplay
edit
Iggy's Reckin' Balls is a simple racing game with tower-based levels.[4] The players must pull themselves up to the next level of a tower using a grappling hook, which can also be used to grab and slow down opponents.[4][5] Each type of stage is divided into 10 towers. The players race up the tower and the first to reach the top is teleported back to the bottom. Once two or three laps (or just one in final towers in each world) have been completed, the tower is destroyed and the player moves on to the next tower. There are ten worlds in Iggy's Reckin' Balls, each containing ten towers.
Power-ups, scattered throughout the 100 courses, equip the players with temporary special abilities.[5] Up to four players can participate. Modes of play include Arcade, Mix-up, Time Trial and Battle. There are initially eight characters to choose from, with an additional nine hidden characters that can be unlocked later.
Development
editIggy's Reckin' Balls was developed by Iguana Entertainment and published by Acclaim Entertainment. The game was pitched by Jools Watsham, drawing picturing and describing the game to Acclaim, who rejected the idea. Watsham, with the help of programmers Carl Wade and Ian Dunlop, created a prototype in two weeks and was approved by Acclaim to make the game.[6] N64.com first revealed its development in 1997 with details such as its tentative title "Wrecking Balls" and having similar gameplay to Putty Squad.[7] Development began in March 1997 and concluded in early June 1998, programmed into a 4 megabyte cart. The grappling hook mechanic was inspired by 1988's Bionic Commando.[6] It was released for the Nintendo 64 in 1998.
Reception
edit| Aggregator | Score |
|---|---|
| GameRankings | 69.35%[8] |
| Publication | Score |
|---|---|
| Computer and Video Games | 3/5[9] |
| GamePro | 3.5/5[10] |
| GameRevolution | 3/5[11] |
| GameSpot | 6.7/10[12] |
| IGN | 6.9/10[13] |
| Jeuxvideo.com | 13/20[14] |
| N64 Magazine | 56%[15] |
| Nintendo Power | 6.6/10[16] |
Iggy's Reckin' Balls received mixed reception from critics.
Following Acclaim's bankruptcy, Throwback Entertainment bought at auction part of their catalog in 2006, including Iggy's Reckin' Balls.[17]
Notes
editReferences
edit- ^ "Iggy's Reckin Balls". Daily Mirror. August 22, 1998. p. 54. Retrieved June 6, 2024.
Iggy's Reckin' Balls is out on August 28 and costs £39.99, but you could win one by naming the Brazilian character in the game.
- ^ I. G. N. Staff (August 24, 1998). "Iggy Comes Home". IGN. Retrieved November 25, 2023.
- ^ https://twitter.com/NintendoAmerica/status/1782937930618573050 [bare URL]
- ^ a b "Reckin' Balls". Electronic Gaming Monthly. No. 105. Ziff Davis. April 1998. p. 38.
- ^ a b Air Hendrix (May 1998). "Sneak Previews: Reckin' Balls". GamePro. No. 116. IDG. p. 50.
- ^ a b IGN Staff (June 29, 1998). "Talkin' With Iggy". IGN. Retrieved May 18, 2020.
- ^ IGN Staff (November 13, 1997). "Acclaim's "Balls" Exposed". IGN. Retrieved May 18, 2020.
- ^ "Iggy's Reckin' Balls for Nintendo 64". GameRankings. Archived from the original on September 9, 2015.
- ^ Huntala, Alex (October 1998). "Mini Reviews". Computer and Video Games. No. 203. p. 73.
- ^ Dr. Zombie (January 1, 2000). "Iggy's Reckin' Balls Review for N64". GamePro. Archived from the original on October 1, 2004.
- ^ "Go wreck some balls. Review". GameRevolution. October 1, 1998. Retrieved May 18, 2020.
- ^ Fielder, Lauren (April 28, 2000). "Iggy's Reckin' Balls Review". GameSpot. Retrieved May 18, 2020.
- ^ Schneider, Peer (September 10, 1998). "Iggy's Reckin' Balls Review". IGN. Retrieved May 18, 2020.
- ^ "Test : Iggy's Reckin' Balls". Jeuxvideo.com (in French). October 7, 1998. Retrieved May 18, 2020.
- ^ Kitts, Martin (September 1998). "Iggy's Reckin' Balls". N64 Magazine. No. 19. Future Publishing. pp. 46–47.
- ^ "Now Playing". Nintendo Power. No. 108. May 1998. p. 95.
- ^ Sinclair, Brendan (July 7, 2006). "Throwback picks up Acclaim properties". GameSpot. Retrieved May 18, 2020.