<s>
DX-Ball	O
2	O
is	O
a	O
1998	O
brick	B-Application
buster	I-Application
game	I-Application
for	O
Microsoft	B-Application
Windows	I-Application
,	O
developed	O
and	O
published	O
by	O
Longbow	O
Games	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
On	O
November	O
21	O
,	O
2018	O
,	O
the	O
game	O
was	O
re-released	O
on	O
Steam	B-Application
as	O
DX-Ball	B-Application
2	I-Application
:	O
20th	O
Anniversary	O
Edition	O
,	O
commemorating	O
the	O
game	O
's	O
20th	O
anniversary	O
,	O
while	O
also	O
ensuring	O
compatibility	O
with	O
more	O
recent	O
versions	O
of	O
Windows	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Following	O
the	O
release	O
of	O
the	O
anniversary	O
edition	O
on	O
Steam	B-Application
,	O
distribution	O
of	O
the	O
original	O
demo	O
version	O
of	O
DX-Ball	B-Application
2	I-Application
via	O
the	O
Longbow	O
Games	O
website	O
was	O
discontinued	O
,	O
alongside	O
sales	O
of	O
the	O
game	O
's	O
original	O
board	O
pack	O
expansions	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Based	O
on	O
the	O
concept	O
of	O
Atari	O
's	O
arcade	O
instalment	O
Breakout	B-Application
,	O
the	O
gameplay	O
of	O
DX-Ball	B-Application
2	I-Application
follows	O
the	O
generic	O
formula	O
of	O
the	O
brick	B-Application
buster	I-Application
genre	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Also	O
unique	O
to	O
DX-Ball	B-Application
2	I-Application
was	O
the	O
ability	O
to	O
select	O
between	O
multiple	O
board-sets	O
to	O
play	O
,	O
enhancing	O
the	O
gameplay	O
experience	O
with	O
varying	O
themes	O
and	O
distinct	O
visual	O
styles	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
free	O
demo	O
version	O
of	O
DX-Ball	B-Application
2	I-Application
introduced	O
a	O
selection	O
of	O
24	O
boards	O
to	O
play	O
,	O
divided	O
into	O
six	O
board-sets	O
,	O
each	O
containing	O
4	O
boards	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Encompassing	O
176	O
boards	O
,	O
the	O
fifth	O
and	O
last	O
game	O
expansion	O
for	O
DX-Ball	B-Application
2	I-Application
included	O
two	O
board-sets	O
of	O
25	O
boards	O
each	O
,	O
an	O
alphabet	O
board-set	O
of	O
26	O
boards	O
,	O
and	O
a	O
dedicated	O
memorial	O
board-set	O
of	O
100	O
boards	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Utilising	O
ActiveX	B-Application
to	O
connect	O
a	O
game	O
through	O
the	O
web	O
browser	O
,	O
Playmachine.net	O
allowed	O
its	O
users	O
to	O
purchase	O
virtual	O
tokens	O
,	O
which	O
could	O
then	O
be	O
exchanged	O
to	O
play	O
games	O
and	O
compete	O
on	O
the	O
service	O
's	O
own	O
leaderboards	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Shortly	O
after	O
its	O
launch	O
,	O
Playmachine.net	O
also	O
held	O
a	O
high	O
score	O
contest	O
for	O
DX-Ball	B-Application
2	I-Application
,	O
where	O
players	O
could	O
compete	O
to	O
win	O
a	O
Nintendo	B-Operating_System
64	I-Operating_System
.	O
</s>
<s>
Released	O
on	O
November	O
24	O
,	O
2000	O
,	O
a	O
boxed	O
CD	O
edition	O
of	O
DX-Ball	B-Application
2	I-Application
was	O
made	O
available	O
for	O
North	O
American	O
consumers	O
,	O
published	O
by	O
TriSynergy	O
and	O
retailed	O
through	O
Babbage	O
's	O
,	O
SoftwareETC	O
and	O
GameStop	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
On	O
August	O
23	O
,	O
2018	O
,	O
Longbow	O
Games	O
announced	O
DX-Ball	B-Application
2	I-Application
:	O
20th	O
Anniversary	O
Edition	O
,	O
an	O
updated	O
relaunch	O
of	O
DX-Ball	B-Application
2	I-Application
that	O
would	O
be	O
coming	O
to	O
Steam	B-Application
during	O
the	O
fall	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
With	O
the	O
release	O
of	O
the	O
new	O
Steam	B-Application
revision	O
of	O
the	O
game	O
,	O
the	O
legacy	O
game	O
download	O
that	O
was	O
distributed	O
via	O
Longbow	O
Games	O
's	O
own	O
website	O
has	O
since	O
been	O
discontinued	O
,	O
alongside	O
the	O
sale	O
of	O
all	O
board	O
packs	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
occasion	O
of	O
the	O
release	O
of	O
DX-Ball	B-Application
2	I-Application
:	O
20th	O
Anniversary	O
Edition	O
,	O
Sidewinder	O
also	O
released	O
an	O
EP	O
,	O
DX-Ball	B-Application
2	I-Application
Sound	O
Selection	O
,	O
featuring	O
new	O
recreated	O
studio	O
versions	O
of	O
the	O
game	O
's	O
initial	O
4	O
tracks	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Games	O
Domain	O
reviewer	O
ZackSchiel	O
praised	O
it	O
for	O
addictive	O
gameplay	O
,	O
and	O
noted	O
it	O
as	O
the	O
"	O
best-looking	O
Breakout	B-Application
game	I-Application
ever	O
made	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Abandonware	O
archive	O
,	O
Home	O
of	O
the	O
Underdogs	O
,	O
stated	O
:	O
"	O
DX-Ball	B-Application
2	I-Application
is	O
one	O
of	O
the	O
best	O
Breakout	B-Application
games	I-Application
ever	O
made	O
"	O
,	O
while	O
ZDNet	O
rated	O
the	O
game	O
5/5	O
stars	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
According	O
to	O
Longbow	O
Games	O
itself	O
,	O
DX-Ball	B-Application
2	I-Application
had	O
accumulated	O
more	O
than	O
5	O
million	O
downloads	O
by	O
the	O
end	O
of	O
2002	O
.	O
</s>
