Factory Balls Christmas Edition
The Christmas season is upon us, and especially a time for that oh-so-wonderful tradition of decorating the tree. How about we start a new tradition? Let's decorate a tree by playing Factory Balls Christmas Edition! Bart Bonte has come up with this fantastic new edition of Factory Balls that although fun and challenging isn't nearly as frustrating as the real thing.
If you've never played any of the JIG favorite Factory Balls games (and why haven't you, anyway?) then the premise is simple. You begin with a blank white ball, and are given a pattern that you need to reproduce on that ball. Using cans of paint and various tools, you mask or block out certain areas of the ball and then dip it into a particular color. Step by step, masking and uncovering and dipping, you will eventually be able to reproduce the given template. Simply click and drag a blank ball to one of the tools then drag to a paint bucket and see what happens. Removing the tools is also simple, just drag the ball back to the tool "shelf" to remove it and see the lovely revealed pattern. Alternate between the tools and the buckets of paint and eventually you will get the pattern and move on to the next.
Factory Balls Christmas Edition is sort of a Factory Balls light in that it confines itself simply to recreating paint patterns, no pulling or cropping surfaces here. Instead, you have a basic toolbox of seasonal items: Santa hats, belts, suspenders, earmuffs, and bobble hats (along with several colors of paint) to recreate various decorations on a Christmas tree. Also unlike the other games in the series, the tools never change, so you get a chance to become really proficient in their use. Hopefully. Rather than dropping the completed item into a box for shipping (as you do with the other Factory Balls games) the finished ornament goes back onto the lovely tree in the background.
Along with the tools and paint come a few more features, such as a continuous loop of Christmas-type music to set the mood (or turn you homicidal, depending on how long you listen to it). There is also, thankfully, a mute button for when it all becomes a bit much. The game automatically saves when you leave, giving you the option of returning to where you left off. And along with the tools is a very handy trash can where you can discard your mistakes and begin anew.
Play all the Factory Balls games:
If there is a minor niggle about the game, it is in the rigid and precise order in which you have to use the tools. For instance, if you want to use the belts in combination with any of the hats, the belts have to go onto the ball first. If you want to use the earmuffs in combination with the hats, the hats have to go on before the earmuffs. And you have to remove the tools in the reverse order that you put them on. In some of the later levels when you are using all three things in various combinations, it can get a little tricky remembering the exact order and where you need to drag the ball to remove the various items.
That is only a minor quibble, though. Factory Balls Christmas Edition has all of the fun and challenge of the regular series combined with a heartwarming and less stressful touch of the holiday season. No physical effort, no reminding yourself that attempted treeicide is a bad thing... all in all a perfect way to enjoy this time of year without most of the baggage that comes with it. And for those who are not celebrating this particular holiday, it's still a fantastic, challenging, and amusing game to play. What are you waiting for? Get decorating!
Walkthrough Guide
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Factory Balls Christmas Edition Walkthrough
General Information
The object is to perfectly recreate the patterns given to you.
The easiest way to do this is to work from the top down.
The tools (as named by me in this walkthrough) are, clockwise from the colors: top Santa hat, bottom Santa hat, wide belt, suspender, right earmuff, left earmuff, small bobble hat, large bobble hat.
If you mess up, drag the ball to the trash, this will turn it white and you can start over.
Remember when using multiple tools: belt and suspender go on before hats, and hats go on before earmuffs.
Happy Holidays!
Level 1
The game will walk you through the level.
Pick a ball and drag it to the red paint can.
Drag the red ball to the wide belt.
Once the belt is on drag the ball to the yellow paint can.
Remove the red belt.
Level 2
Drag a white ball to the orange paint can.
Drag the ball to the small bobble hat.
Drag the ball to the blue paint can.
Remove the small bobble hat and put on the large bobble hat.
Drag the ball to the orange paint can and then remove the bobble hat.
Level 3
Drag a white ball to the blue paint.
Add the small bobble hat.
Drag the can to the red paint.
Remove the small bobble hat and put on the top Santa hat.
Drag to the orange paint.
Remove the top Santa hat and put on the large bobble hat.
Drag to the yellow paint then remove the large bobble hat.
Level 4
Drag a white ball to the yellow paint.
Add both the right and left earmuffs.
Drag to the orange paint.
Remove the earmuffs and put on the wide belt.
Drag to the red paint and then remove the belt.
Level 5
Drag a white ball to the red paint.
Add the left earmuff, then drag to the yellow paint.
Add the right earmuff (don't remove the left) and drag to the orange paint.
Remove the earmuffs, put on the top Santa hat, then add both earmuffs back on.
Drag to the blue paint then remove all of the tools (earmuffs and hat).
Level 6
Drag a white ball to the blue paint.
Add both earmuffs (right and left) and drag to the red paint.
Remove the earmuffs and put on the top Santa hat.
Drag to the red paint.
With the Santa hat still on put on both earmuffs.
Drag to the blue paint and then remove all of the tools.
Level 7
Drag a white ball to the bottom Santa hat and the small bobble hat.
Dip into the red paint.
Remove the bottom Santa hat and small bobble hat.
Put on the large bobble hat.
Drag to the orange paint, then remove the large bobble hat.
Level 8
Drag a white ball to the blue paint.
Put on the wide belt and drag the ball to the red paint.
Put on the small bobble hat (don't remove the belt) and drag to the yellow paint.
Remove the small bobble hat and the belt, then put on the large bobble hat.
Drag to the red paint and then remove the large bobble hat.
Level 9
Drag a white ball to the blue paint.
Put on the small bobble hat and drag to the yellow paint.
Remove the small bobble hat, put on the suspender and drag to the blue paint.
Remove the suspender, put on the large bobble hat, and drag to the blue paint.
Remove the large bobble hat.
Level 10
Drag a white ball to the yellow paint.
Put on both earmuffs and drag to the blue paint.
Remove the earmuffs, put on the wide belt, and drag to the orange paint.
Remove the belt, put on the top Santa hat and the earmuffs.
Drag to the orange paint.
Remove the top Santa hat and earmuffs, and put on the wide belt and the top Santa hat (again).
Drag to the blue paint, then remove the hat and belt.
Level 11
Drag a white ball to the red paint.
Put on the wide belt and drag to the orange paint.
Remove the wide belt, and add the suspender and the bottom Santa hat.
Drag to the orange paint again.
Remove the bottom Santa hat and add the wide belt (leave the suspender on).
Drag to the yellow paint.
Remove the belt and suspender, put on the top Santa hat and drag to the orange paint.
Remove the top Santa hat, put on the wide belt and the top Santa hat, and drag to red.
Remove the top Santa hat and wide belt.
Put on the suspender and the top Santa hat, then drag to the red paint.
Remove the top Santa hat (leave the suspender on).
Put on the wide belt, then the top Santa hat.
Drag to the blue paint them remove all tools.
Level 12
Drag a white ball to the earmuffs (both sets) and then drag to the yellow paint.
Remove the earmuffs, then put on the wide belt and drag to the red paint.
Put on the small bobble hat (don't remove the belt) and drag to the orange paint.
Remove the small bobble hat (keep the wide belt on) and then put on the suspender.
Drag to the blue paint.
Remove the suspender (keep the wide belt on) and put on the top Santa hat.
Drag to the orange paint.
Remove the wide belt and the Santa hat. Put on the large bobble hat.
Drag to the red paint.
Remove the large bobble hat. Put on the wide belt, suspender, and top Santa hat.
Drag to the blue paint then remove all tools.
Level 13
Drag a white ball to the orange paint.
Put on the suspender and the earmuffs, then drag to the blue paint.
Remove the suspender and earmuffs. Put on the wide belt and drag to the yellow paint.
Put on the small bobble hat (leave the belt on) and drag to the blue paint.
Remove the small bobble hat and the belt. Put on the large bobble hat.
Drag to the red paint then remove the large bobble hat.
Level 14
Drag a white ball to the blue paint.
Put on the small bobble hat and the bottom Santa hat.
Drag to the yellow paint.
Remove both hats. Put on the suspender and put the small bobble hat back on as well.
Drag to the red paint.
Remove the small bobble hat, keep the suspender on, and put on the top Santa hat.
Drag to the orange paint.
Remove the top Santa hat and the suspender. Put on the large bobble hat.
Drag to the yellow paint and remove the hat.
Level 15
Put the suspender on a white ball and drag to the orange paint.
Keeping the suspender on, put on the top Santa hat and drag to the yellow paint.
Remove the top Santa hat (keep the suspender on) and put on both earmuffs.
Drag to the red paint.
Remove the earmuffs and the suspender.
put on the wide belt, then drag to the red paint again.
Keeping the wide belt on, put on the small bobble hat and drag to the blue paint.
Remove the small bobble hat and the wide belt. Put on the large bobble hat.
Drag to the red paint then remove the hat.
Level 16
Drag a white ball to the blue paint.
Put on the right earmuff, then drag to the red paint.
Remove the earmuff, put on the top Santa hat, then drag to the blue paint.
Keep the top Santa hat on, put on the left earmuff, then drag to the red paint.
Remove the top Santa hat and the earmuff. Put on the wide belt and the small bobble hat and drag to the orange paint.
Remove the wide belt and the small bobble hat.
Put on the suspender and both earmuffs.
Drag to the blue paint.
Remove the earmuffs and keep the suspender on. Put on the small bobble hat, then put both earmuffs back on.
Drag to the orange paint.
Remove the small bobble hat, earmuffs, and suspender.
Put on the top Santa hat and both earmuffs.
Drag to the blue paint.
Remove the earmuffs and the top Santa hat.
Put on the wide belt and the top Santa hat. Drag to the yellow paint.
Remove the wide belt and the top Santa hat. Put on the large bobble hat and drag to the blue paint.
Remove the large bobble hat.
Put on the suspender, the top Santa hat, and both earmuffs.
Drag to the yellow paint.
Take off the earmuffs and the top Santa hat. Leave the suspender on.
Put on the large bobble hat and drag to the red paint.
Remove the large bobble hat and the suspender and enjoy the lovely music!
Posted by: grinnyp | December 13, 2010 4:53 PM