Mojo!

It is not a bouncing ball, but you definitely better keep your eye on it. Round and round it goes and where it stops only your Mojo knows.

Well, that and your brakes, thumbstick and the side rail, when there is one.

Mojo! is the name of the game and the Crave Entertainment and FarSight Studios product is not the most intensive arcade game on the market, but it is a lot of fun and a treat for the eyes.

At first blush, Mojo is rather simplistic in nature. You have a ball akin to a ball bearing, and have to navigate it around a platform to knock out or eliminate different color blocks. As you move through and complete one stage, another more challenging one is drawn up. You have to navigate through obstacles in order to complete the task.

The game does get progressively more difficult as you move through the stages.

But lest you think this is a version of bumper pool or breakout, think again. The ball can be stopped. You actually have a break you can use to skid the ball to a stop, then you can propel it in another direction. This proves very handy as you progress. The first stages have high borders around the playing field. Later though, you will have to use nerves of steel to guide that ball around areas that have low or no banks. One missed move and your ball falls off the edge into the abyss.

Play modes include single player, battle mode 2 players, a stage editor, and golf mode 2 players.

Graphically this game is very good. The three-dimensional environments with a fully rotatable camera allows players to see the action from any angle they wish. The game is bright and extremely colorful.

The sound track, which uses a mixture of pop with rock undertones can get a little irritating after about 20-30 minutes but you can always turn off the sound.

The game controls are rather simple to use. Players should expect a learning curve of 30 seconds or less.

Each stage is timed and the idea is to post the fastest time and record possible. This is a puzzle game more so than anything else. Figuring out the right progression, use the left thumbstick to control the ball, the right thumbstick to view the playing surface and the brakes to keep it on the board are the three major elements of the game.

Mojo! is not going to blow people away with its gameplay. This is rather simple, but addictive. The courses are challenging and the environments are brilliantly designed.

Gameplay: 7.3
This is an arcade game that flows smoothly from one stage to the next. There are minor load times between stages, but once into a stage, the only thing you have to worry about is the clock which keeps ticking away.

Graphics: 8
This game looks wonderful, and the three-dimensional environments are incredible.

Sound: 6.2
It gets very annoying after a while. There are some minor sound effects, but the overwhelming element is the incessant music.

Difficulty: Easy
This is an extremely easy game to play. The challenge is in taking out the blocks, changing sphere colors are the right time and moving as rapidly as possible through the stage.

Concept: 7
This game has elements many arcade gamers will be familiar with. The interface (what interface) is simple and the game is easy to manage.

Multiplayer: 7.4
The single-player game is fun, and the multiplayer aspects are equally as enjoyable.

Overall: 7.2
This is not a game that will change video gaming as we know it, but it is a nice diversionary game that is full of eye candy. The puzzles are not overly complex and just about anyone should be able to work through the stages. The key is to do it as quickly as possible. A few things are minor setbacks to the overall game, but this is a simple, yet enjoyable game.