Smart Ball (1991). Play Free Online

Summary

Smart Ball lets you glide through eight quirky stages as a jelly‑bean hero named Jerry. I spend most of the time sliding, clinging to walls and ceilings, and stretching or flattening his gelatinous body to squash foes or bounce on them, while the Y button lets me sprint or stick to surfaces. Scattered balls turn into projectile ammo, flowers reveal power‑ups, extra lives and even seeds that sprout climbable beanstalks, and each level hides the letters J‑E‑R‑R‑Y for two bonus lives. The visuals are deliberately cartoony, targeting younger players with bright hills, pipes and bounce‑friendly platforms; the North American release stripped away the original story and town names, but a fan translation restores them. Critics gave the game mixed to positive scores, praising its character design enough to win the AVA Multimedia Grand Prix, though they noted the core platforming feels fairly standard. A planned sequel featuring multiple heroes and a larger engine was canceled after Sony’s shift to the PlayStation, leaving Smart Ball as a cute, cult‑classic corner of early‑90s SNES history.

Storyline

Smart Ball follows the tale of Jerry, a young prince who rules his kingdom. Jealous of his brother Tom, who secretly loves Princess Emi, Tom hires a mysterious witch to curse Jerry. The witch turns the royal heir into a gelatinous blob, forcing him to roll through bizarre landscapes in search of a cure. As the blob, Jerry must navigate hidden passages, avoid traps, and collect magical items to restore his human form and reclaim the throne. The original Japanese version included detailed towns and dialogue that explained the family drama, but the North American release stripped away all story elements, leaving only the gameplay.

Edited by Maya Carter