Reviews

Bounder is defined as a ‘compulsive game’ in its inlay. A good definition for a very addictive arcade whose mission is simple, and simple games usually are the funniest and the most addictive ones. In this case, you move a tennis ball bouncing through 10 levels in a vertical scroll.

The ball must bounce on certain hexagonal slabs only, avoiding mountains, birds, coins and other moving objects. Certain slabs will help you: teleport, arrows (help you make longer jumps) or mystery bonus. After each level there’s a cool bonus stage. The graphics are correct (the play area is monochrome, though), the scroll is smooth, the sounds are good and the tune is very nice.

So Bounder is an enjoyable, original game that won’t dissapoint you.

1986 Gremlin Graphics (UK)
by Chris Kerry, Shaun Hollingworth, Peter Harrap and Marco Duroe

Bouncing balls games like Bounder were very popular during a period. Lots of ideas were popping up and new games were hitting the shelfs.
Some quite good, some not. Bounder falls into the average category.
There's nothing actually new about the game, the playing is average and looks average. But it's fun and challenging notheless.

by Shaun Hollingworth, Chris Kerry, Peter M. Harrap, Marco Duroe

It's an original platform game, because a top view platform isn't something common, or it wasn't in 1986, or maybe Bounder was really the first one, though it wasn't certainly the first ball game: in 1986 it looks like it was a mania. One of the differences with the other platforms, in this case, is that you must coordinate your movements with the rhythm of your automatic bouncing, which you can't stop. It's feriociously hard but controversely addictive. You bounce your tennis ball, or the tennis ball that is you, upon square platforms trying not to make it fall below, because if you fall too many times, you have no balls. There are helpful platforms that will make you jump longer, but even fatal nasties moving in loops. Once you finish the course, a differently coloured monochrome level awaits you, with a slightly different scenario. It's the usual professional, appealing and colourfully presented effort from Gremlin Graphics.
4/5