Orbital is one of those games you might have missed, released as it was a month prior to the Nokia Lumia 800 hitting the shops. We're making a special point of backtracking, though, as it turns out to be one of the most maddeningly addictive games available for your new Windows Phone handset. Read our Orbital review for the Nokia Lumia 800 to find out more.

Nokia Lumia 800 game: Z0MB1ES (on teh ph0ne) review

Orbital has that irresistible combination of simple controls and one-more-go addictiveness. It consists of pinging an endless series of balls up the screen from a constantly swivelling cannon at the bottom. The goal is first and foremost to keep each successive ball in play, being careful to prevent them from bouncing off the top of the screen (or another ball) and back to the very bottom of the screen from whence they came.

The second objective is to destroy these balls, which is what ultimately scores you points. This is the tricky part, as they'll only disappear after several hits from another ball. To make things even more complicated, once a ball comes to rest it will expand until it hits a solid object - whether that be another ball or a wall. Naturally, the bigger the ball the smaller the playing field and the higher the risk of a bounce back.

To succeed, then, you must make smart use of the sides of the playing field, angling your shots to take the pace out of the ball and leave it near the top of the screen. You also want to leave it near a wall or another ball so as to limit its growth.

Orbital isn't purely a game of strategy, though - it's also a game of timing and of accuracy. As mentioned, two of the three modes have your ball-launcher constantly rotating from side to side, leaving you to prod the screen to launch a ball at just the right moment. There's no guide, so you have to be very skilful to guide your shots.

Speaking of modes, each differs just enough to warrant time being spent on all of them. Pure is vanilla Orbital with an auto-rotating cannon and basic physics. Gravity mode is much the same, but here each ball has its own gravitational pull. This means that subsequent shots are pulled off line much like an asteroid being pulled into orbit around a planet.

The third and final mode, Supernova, is quite different from the other two. Here you aim the cannon yourself by touching on the screen and releasing to shoot. You have a laser sight to help you aim your shots, although it doesn't help you with rebound shots. Also helping here is the fact that vanishing balls cause splash damage to others in close proximity, leading to the possibility of satisfying chain reactions. To check your newfound powers, Supernova mode makes each ball that bit tougher to get rid of, requiring five hits as opposed to the three elsewhere.

That's Orbital for you, but its compulsiveness is impossible to convey simply by talking about its mechanics. Each game is an impeccable mixture of skill, strategy and pure blind luck. Thanks to your Nokia Lumia 800's built-in Xbox Live functionality, there's a fair bit of competitiveness mixed in there too. You're constantly aware of your friends' highest scores listed in the corner, giving you an incentive to do better. 

Continuing this competitive slant, Orbital's multiplayer mode is a fine addition, allowing you to take turns pinging shots into the field of play. The potential for making life difficult for your opponent is irresistible, extending the game's lifespan considerably.

Orbital's spartan (if stylishly neon-soaked) visuals and simple gameplay hide a game of surprising depth. It's one of the most moreish games on the Nokia Lumia 800, and while it might be considered a little pricey you'll want to give each of its three modes (six if you double up for multiplayer) a fair old going over.

Orbital is available on the Windows Phone Marketplace now for £2.29.