Screenshots
Water Balls
Water Balls is a 1996 arcade action game developed by ABM. Players control a character tasked with manipulating or deflecting balls across water-themed stages, using arcade controls to aim and interact with the environment. The game features multiple levels with increasing difficulty, requiring quick reflexes and precise timing to progress. Each stage presents new obstacles and arrangements that challenge players to adapt their strategy. The water-themed visuals give the game a distinct aesthetic, with colorful ball mechanics forming the core of the gameplay loop. ABM designed the title around short, replayable sessions typical of arcade cabinets, encouraging players to improve their score and advance through stages.
- Developer
- ABM
- Released
- 1996
- Platform
- Arcade
- Genre
- Action
- Rating
- 4.9 / 5 (3.2K)
- Last updated
Water Balls Controls — Arcade Keyboard Keys
Default keyboard bindings for Water Balls on our in-browser Arcade emulator. Plug in a USB or Bluetooth gamepad to auto-detect mappings, or rebind any key from the emulator settings menu.
| Keyboard | Console button | Typical use |
|---|---|---|
| ↑ | Joystick Up | Move up |
| ↓ | Joystick Down | Move down |
| ← | Joystick Left | Move left |
| → | Joystick Right | Move right |
| X | Button 1 | Primary action (jump / confirm) |
| Z | Button 2 | Secondary action (attack / cancel) |
| S | Button 3 | Tertiary action |
| A | Button 4 | Quaternary action |
| Q | Button 5 | Fifth button |
| W | Button 6 | Sixth button |
| 5 | Insert Coin | Insert coin |
| 1 | 1P Start | Start / Pause |
Coin and Start are convention "Insert Coin: 5" and "1P Start: 1". Some arcade boards expect specific button mappings — check the in-game prompts on coin-up.
Rebind any key from the EmulatorJS in-game settings menu (gear icon → Controls). A connected gamepad auto-maps to the same buttons.
Water Balls Longplay & Gameplay Videos
Watch a full playthrough of Water Balls on Arcade before you dive in — recommended for getting a feel for the game's pacing, story beats, and difficulty curve.
Watch longplay on YouTube
"Water Balls" Arcade longplay 1996
External references
Frequently Asked Questions
When was Water Balls released?
Water Balls was released in 1996 for the Arcade.
Who developed Water Balls?
Water Balls was developed by ABM, available to play in your browser on RetroGameSpace.
What type of game is Water Balls?
Water Balls is a Action game for the Arcade, playable instantly in your browser — no downloads, no installs.
How can I play Water Balls for free?
Open this page and click "Play Now" — Water Balls runs free in your browser via WebAssembly emulation. No account, no payment, no installer.
Do I need to download anything to play Water Balls in the browser?
No. Water Balls streams from a public archive into a browser-side Arcade emulator. Nothing is installed on your computer.
Can I save my progress in Water Balls?
Yes. Save states are stored in your browser (IndexedDB) per game, and you can also use any in-game save the original Arcade cartridge supported.
Does Water Balls work on mobile devices?
Yes — the Arcade emulator runs on iOS Safari and Android Chrome. Touch controls overlay the game; landscape mode is recommended.
Is it legal to play Water Balls this way?
RetroGameSpace is a transient caching reverse-proxy and does not host first-party copies of Water Balls. Game files are fetched on demand from publicly-accessible archives. You are responsible for compliance with your local laws and the bring-your-own-ROM principle.
