This will be long
Game: Super Dodgeball Brawlers
Genre: Sports - Dodgeball
Platform: Nintendo DS
Back in 1990, Technos released Super Dodgeball for the NES. The game, part of the Kunio series, featured fast-paced, wacky dodgeball action with powerful special attacks and an excellent two-player vs. mode. The game was revived for the Game Boy Advance in 2001, and though the look was different, the dodgeball action retained the charm and pace of the original. Now Million and Aksys, inheritors of the Kunio license, bring us Super Dodgeball Brawlers, and while, for the most part, it lives up to its legacy, its unnecessary new features and lack of game modes make it a title with limited appeal.
If you’ve ever played the original Super Dodgeball, getting used to the basic controls will be a snap. On offense, the A button passes the ball, B shoots, and the two together jump. Without the ball, B will dodge and A will catch opponents’ throws. New to the game is the ability to perform punches and kicks with the X and Y buttons. The fighting system doesn’t add much to the equation, and in single-player modes, the computer player is so ruthless with his attacks that it actually hurts the game. Fortunately, the fighting can be turned off from the game menu, so it doesn’t have to affect the game at all. Touch screen controls are limited to the menus and what the game calls a ”Nekketsu Burst.” As you successfully hit your opponents, a meter fills up. Once the meter is filled, an icon appears on the lower screen that, when tapped, gives your team a boost for 5 seconds. Regular attacks are easy enough to pull off, but performing super attacks requires timing and practice. Each character has two special throws: one from the ground and one from the air. Getting down the rhythm needed to make these special throws will take most gamers at least a few games, but once you’ve got it, it feels instinctive and natural.
It’s a shame that this excellent dodgeball engine isn’t given more to do. There’s tournament mode, which is essentially the story mode, and Vs. match, which is a single match against either the computer or another player via wi-fi. Tournament mode pits you against a series of international teams on your way to the World Championship. With each win, your team gains money which can be spent on upgrade items at the store, and experience points that level your characters up, opening up new items to be purchased. Other than the silly Brawl mode, that’s pretty much all there is to do. Some timed challenges or mini-games would have been very welcome additions, and would have added many hours of playability to this feature-poor title.
The game comes with 20 pre-loaded teams, but most people will want to take advantage of the create-a-team function. Your team’s name, colors and formation are all customizable, as are the players. There are over a 150 different faces and hairstyles to choose from, along with several hair and skin colors. Each character is given 150 skill points to distribute amongst ten categories, ranging from throwing power to dodging ability to the mysterious “Spirit” rating, which doesn’t seem to make any difference at all. You can even change your players’ birthdates, which determines their special throws. It’s a surprisingly deep customization system for a dodgeball game, and it definitely adds significant value to the package as a whole.
Visually, Super Dodgeball Brawlers looks a whole lot like the original Super Dodgeball for the NES. Backgrounds have been given a slight upgrade, but character sprites are almost identical to those in the 28-year old classic. For fans of the series, that’s not necessarily a bad thing, though. There are some decent effects for the various special attacks, but nothing that pushes the DS technology to its limit. It’s not exactly an ugly game, but it’s definitely dated and won’t amaze anyone with its visuals.
SDB’s biggest problem is its menu system. Reminiscent of the system found in Fire Pro Wrestling, it’s a clunky, no-frills setup that doesn’t lend itself well to what should be a great pick-up-and-play game. Entering any game mode requires you to traverse at least four menu screens, each with several sub-menus. Million, the game’s publisher, is notorious for their terrible front-end design, so this should come as a surprise to no one.
Super Dodgeball Brawlers is a good amount of fun for a short amount of time. It’s too complex for casual gamers, but too shallow for anyone looking to really dive into a dodgeball game. The core mechanics are tight, but sadly, there just isn’t that much to do with them. Not everyone will enjoy it, but fans of the original will find worthwhile experience that does justice to its forebear.
Posts merged
review from Game rankings!!
