Critic & User Reviews
IGN Review of Super Dodgeball Brawlers
Growing up with games like River City Ransom, World Cup Soccer, and Super Dodge Ball on NES has made me a lifetime fan of the Japanese Kunio series. Following the cast from Nekketsu High School, the classic series by Technos has been around since the very beginning of mainstream gaming, now with over 20 years of faithful service to 2D action spanning over 40 titles across more than a dozen platforms. In America, the prize goes to River City Ransom on the beat-em-up front, and the classic NES (and beyond) Super Dodgeball. Since the games are slim pickings here in the US though, any supporters of the Kunio series essentially take what they can get, as we've only really gotten a small cross-section of the content Nekketsu High School has to offer. When a title like Super Dodgeball Brawlers comes down the pipe, it does two things. First off, it energizes fans of the Kunio series, since US releases are few and far between. Secondly though, it holds a lot of pressure to perform, since America doesn't see too many of them, so what Kunio games do come need to count.
Super Dodgeball Brawlers is a mix between the classic franchise on NES, as well as a hybrid of combat and item usage from River City Ransom. In theory, Aksys Games is combining the best of both US-released worlds into one package, including all the customization you'd expect from the Dodgeball series, while still adding a small nod to River City by including hand-to-hand combat and item-based attacks to use on the court, or in the school yard. On paper the design sounds like the best of both worlds, perhaps even mashing together memories of Super Dodgeball on GBA and the River City Ransom remake (also on GBA) into one happy memory. In the end though, the product isn't up to par with those titles, mixing together some odd balance issues, removed functionality, and level of depth expected from regular DS games, but light for the Kunio series itself.
The game offers three main modes of play, as well as an edit mode disguised as the locker room of Nekketsu High. Players can customize any team in the game – 21 in all – or save up to three teams of their own, and play basic vs. play against human or computer-controlled teams, go into the eight player, schoolyard Brawl mode, which is inspired from the original NES free-roaming "every man for themselves" secondary match, or take their team through a tournament. Both Vs. Mode and Brawl are one-time sessions, having gamers select their favorite team or player, take them into a single match, and then eventually back out of the game to the main title screen. In both instances, weapons and punch/kick buttons can be turned on or off, depending on if you want the traditional Super Dodgeball feel, or if you enjoy the River City hybrid design.
Tournament mode is a bit deeper, and where most players will find the bulk of the experience played. You'll select your favorite team – or your own created one – and battle through the ranks, gaining team experience and cash as you go. Experience levels your whole team up, and cash can be used to buy equipment for your players. The entire experience is fun, but still very basic, and it'll only take a few rounds of play before the average player (or even die-hard Dodgeball fan) realizes just how shallow the whole experience is. I did take some time to create my own team, based entirely off the IGN Nintendo Team, and that was pretty hilarious. Even with the simple joys of watching Matt Casamassina throw a mach ball into Team Italy at 150mph, or Craig "Cranky" Harris unleash his hidden fury on an unsuspecting German team grew tiresome after a few matches though, and the overall shallow nature of the game set in.
There are a few offerings that'll keep the experience fresh over time though, as Brawlers allows for eight players off a single card, which can make both Vs. and Brawl modes a great option for quick downtime matches when hanging out with some friends. In that sense the game capitalizes on its "simple pleasures" feel, while not drawing attention to its overall slim offering as a deep, customizable experience.
While multiplayer is the obvious high point to the design, I couldn't get over the fact that both GBA offerings of River City Ransom and Super Dodgeball were much stronger offerings than Brawl, as the customization on River City GBA was seemingly never-ending, and aspects of the Game Boy Advance Dodgeball experience weren't included in its DS sequel. Alley-oops, for example, aren't included this time around, and that was the only real gameplay advancement made since the beginning of the Super Dodgeball series 15+ years ago. It also rocked, by the way. The anime-like design of the GBA game is also gone, so you won't talk to cute trainer girls between matches or have any fun, "tongue in cheek" dialogue to fuel the matches themselves.
On the court, there's no way to change characters manually outside of passing, so if you want to make use of items while your team controls the ball, you're out of luck. Dodging shots will inevitably leave one of your other teammates directly in the patch of the shot as well, which is an issue, and smarter players will realize that the AI spends its opening seconds in every match dashing for the ball, and sit there punching and kicking enemies as they moronically attempt to run up to the ball itself and start the game with a throw. You can literally shave every player on the opposing team down to one hit point before the ball is even picked up.
©2008-06-26, IGN Entertainment, Inc. All Rights Reserved
Super Dodgeball Brawlers is a mix between the classic franchise on NES, as well as a hybrid of combat and item usage from River City Ransom. In theory, Aksys Games is combining the best of both US-released worlds into one package, including all the customization you'd expect from the Dodgeball series, while still adding a small nod to River City by including hand-to-hand combat and item-based attacks to use on the court, or in the school yard. On paper the design sounds like the best of both worlds, perhaps even mashing together memories of Super Dodgeball on GBA and the River City Ransom remake (also on GBA) into one happy memory. In the end though, the product isn't up to par with those titles, mixing together some odd balance issues, removed functionality, and level of depth expected from regular DS games, but light for the Kunio series itself.
The game offers three main modes of play, as well as an edit mode disguised as the locker room of Nekketsu High. Players can customize any team in the game – 21 in all – or save up to three teams of their own, and play basic vs. play against human or computer-controlled teams, go into the eight player, schoolyard Brawl mode, which is inspired from the original NES free-roaming "every man for themselves" secondary match, or take their team through a tournament. Both Vs. Mode and Brawl are one-time sessions, having gamers select their favorite team or player, take them into a single match, and then eventually back out of the game to the main title screen. In both instances, weapons and punch/kick buttons can be turned on or off, depending on if you want the traditional Super Dodgeball feel, or if you enjoy the River City hybrid design.
Tournament mode is a bit deeper, and where most players will find the bulk of the experience played. You'll select your favorite team – or your own created one – and battle through the ranks, gaining team experience and cash as you go. Experience levels your whole team up, and cash can be used to buy equipment for your players. The entire experience is fun, but still very basic, and it'll only take a few rounds of play before the average player (or even die-hard Dodgeball fan) realizes just how shallow the whole experience is. I did take some time to create my own team, based entirely off the IGN Nintendo Team, and that was pretty hilarious. Even with the simple joys of watching Matt Casamassina throw a mach ball into Team Italy at 150mph, or Craig "Cranky" Harris unleash his hidden fury on an unsuspecting German team grew tiresome after a few matches though, and the overall shallow nature of the game set in.
There are a few offerings that'll keep the experience fresh over time though, as Brawlers allows for eight players off a single card, which can make both Vs. and Brawl modes a great option for quick downtime matches when hanging out with some friends. In that sense the game capitalizes on its "simple pleasures" feel, while not drawing attention to its overall slim offering as a deep, customizable experience.
While multiplayer is the obvious high point to the design, I couldn't get over the fact that both GBA offerings of River City Ransom and Super Dodgeball were much stronger offerings than Brawl, as the customization on River City GBA was seemingly never-ending, and aspects of the Game Boy Advance Dodgeball experience weren't included in its DS sequel. Alley-oops, for example, aren't included this time around, and that was the only real gameplay advancement made since the beginning of the Super Dodgeball series 15+ years ago. It also rocked, by the way. The anime-like design of the GBA game is also gone, so you won't talk to cute trainer girls between matches or have any fun, "tongue in cheek" dialogue to fuel the matches themselves.
On the court, there's no way to change characters manually outside of passing, so if you want to make use of items while your team controls the ball, you're out of luck. Dodging shots will inevitably leave one of your other teammates directly in the patch of the shot as well, which is an issue, and smarter players will realize that the AI spends its opening seconds in every match dashing for the ball, and sit there punching and kicking enemies as they moronically attempt to run up to the ball itself and start the game with a throw. You can literally shave every player on the opposing team down to one hit point before the ball is even picked up.
©2008-06-26, IGN Entertainment, Inc. All Rights Reserved