Red Ball 9

First thing you notice—Red Ball 9 opens in a tangled bit of forest. Trees double back on themselves, some platforms seem way too high, and there's a weird old stump with gears stuck in it. Red Ball's already bouncing, looking for coins and spots to test out his new trick: shooting stuff. He's not too shy about it either; if a cranky snail or a square slime blocks the path, you'll see Red Ball fire off apples right away. The game Red Ball 9 drops you into these tight spaces where figuring out how to cross spikes or open a gate almost has you talking to the screen.

How to play?

You roll the Red Ball left or right with the arrow keys and hit space to shoot whatever ammo's handy—it could be a pebble or a thrown apple, depending on what you've collected. Sometimes you find bombs or boomerangs stashed by tree roots, which is helpful when an enemy's guarding a tunnel or just won't move. In the game Red Ball 9, enemies drop gold after you knock them out, so you poke into corners for extra loot. That gold buys you more ammo or lets you pick upgrades like thicker armor or adding more hearts. I usually save up for the health boost first, but the boomerang is fun. Some platforms are almost too far, so don't be surprised if you miss and have to try again a few times. You make it to a checkpoint, and it's a relief. Finishing a tricky section does feel good, I'll say that.