Features

Developers World Championship: Match Report - Spain v Switzerland (Group H)

Ozone (Spain) vs Orbital (Switzerland)

Developers World Championship: Match Report - Spain v Switzerland (Group H)
|
SPAIN Ozone (Geardome)

VS SWITZERLAND Orbital (Bitforge)

Orb v bubble. Award winner v award winner. Ozone v Orbital. From the moment Spain and Switzerland were drawn out of the hat together by the Pocket Gamer organising committee, fate would ensure that these two spheres meet in ball-on-ball combat.

Much-fancied for the ‘other’ World Championships, Spain, had deliberated for days over this crucial selection, only confirming Gamedome’s Ozone with minutes to spare.

Inspired by online smash Gimme Friction Baby, Switzerland’s representative, Orbital, had by contrast been circling the iStadium in the run up to the game, acclimatising to the UK air like any true pro should nowadays.

Its developer, bitforge, was clearly quite confident but also trying hard to keep the team’s feet firmly on the ground, having recently been honoured with first prize at the DiscoveryBeats App Contest.

With two evenly matched sides, this one was shaping up to be the most 'rounded' contest of the tournament so far.

Kick Off: 3pm, 16th June

The critical view: The action was intense from the kick off. Barely moments after contesting the coin toss to determine ends, both team skippers had their arms aloft, proudly displaying their respective Silver Awards to the fourth official on the sidelines.

As expected, competition was fierce all over the pitch, tackles flying in from the trancy, trippy sonics of Orbital and the ambient, atmospheric soundtrack to Ozone.

Best defined in the broadsheets as Geometry Wars meets Peggle, Switzerland' goldenball was producing some wonderful link-up play via its Facebook connectivity and only the impressive Ozone back line of fifty-odd 3D worlds prevented the Swiss outfit taking the lead.

Spain’s puzzle-cum-platformer then tried to take matters into its own hands with its offline level editor, but faced harsh resistance in the attractive shape of Orbital's particle effects and increasingly impressive leaderboards.

Goalless, therefore, at the break, but by no means a bore-draw. Could a half-time hairdryer from the games' gaffers make the difference and could the Spanish raise the temperature or the Swiss get on a roll?

Half time: Spain 0 – 0 Switzerland The Fans’ 45: Worryingly for the Spanish squad, the variety of Ozone's in-game mechanics, including mazes, physics, and traps, couldn't translate into support on the terraces.

Some pundits remarked upon the climate difference, British summertime being a bit chilly and damp for fans from the costas, but to be fair it didn't seem to suit the Swiss either.

Whilst Orbital's two player mode did raise the interest levels for a brief period, it wasn't enough to get a clear lead and neither the multiplayer, nor the three separate game modes could prise open the Spanish defence.

History was made in iStadium then, as we witnessed the first goal-less stalemate.

Full time: Spain 0– 0 Switzerland Latest Group Tables - Fixtures & Voting - Squads

Confused? Click here to go to the iPhone Game Developers World Championship info page.

MESSAGE FROM OUR SPONSORS: The iPhone Game Developers World Championship 2010 is brought to you by Pocket Gamer in association with FlickKick Football> check it out!
Richard Brown
Richard Brown
With a degree in German up his sleeve Richard squares up to the following three questions every morning: FIFA or Pro Evo? XBox 360 or PS3? McNulty or Bunk?