Super Dodge Ball Advance

"No Mercy"

Everyone remembers P.E. In fact, during middle school it was probably the only class most of us enjoyed. Some of the classic matches include a game of basketball, two hand touch football, and oh yes, the one and only dodge ball. While not quite at the superstar level as other sports like football and baseball, dodge ball still remains as one of the most competitive games around. There really isn't a professional league, so what are the incentives to play? Well, not getting smashed in the face with the ball should be good enough. Despite not being in the mainstream, the sport does have its moments, which includes a movie and some games. Super Dodge Ball, the classical Nes game featured hard hitting action, mean and powerful throws, along with plenty of broken noses. Fans of the original Super Dodge Ball have been waiting a long time, and thanks to Atlus, fans can put on those sneakers and prepare to lay the hurt on the other team.

Even with the sport being more of a cult following rather than your typical fan, Atlus decided to perform some reverse psychology on us. Instead of taking a back seat to other sports, the game of dodge ball is the front runner to the most popular sport. The dodge ball championship is now the superbowl. The story revolves around a group of young teens shooting for the top. In doing so, they must enter a dodge ball tournament and move up the chain. Starting as a lowly tenth seed, your victories will help you position yourself in being the top dog.

Fans of the original won't take long to get into the GBA version, but with so much similarity, the game does suffer from its old roots. Normally there are games that age quite well over time, but unfortunately for Super Dodge Ball Advance, its past its prime and lacks depth even for a sports game. To make matters worse, the game is extremely short. Back then that wouldn't be an issue, but today's breed of games requires some meat on its bones. Despite such issue, it is still fun for the first few days.

There are a few core modes in the advance version, which include exhibition mode that lets you choose different teams from various nations. The main mode of play is the tournament mode that is followed up by a special mode to battle it out for the glorious championships. Although the tournament is the main mode, it really isn't the lengthy. You start off, seeded at tenth, and by playing higher ranked teams, you can make your way up.

The problem with the modes is its lack of content. Sure it's fun to smash people's faces in with a ball, but there really isn't much variation in doing so, and to make matters worse, the game's mode doesn't last very long. While the prospect of the game's nostalgic themes certainly weight heavily on my mind, I also can't help that the game isn't all that much better than the previous versions. The game was an instant classic back in the days, but today's games require more depth and more content.

During the matches, there will be two teams facing off. Each team will have a set number of players on the court, along with 3 players outlining the opposing team. In doing so, this allows for some nice strategy, where you can play keep away with the outlining teammates and find a crack in the defense before you let a rippling shot at the opponent. Furthermore, the game's sense of speed is thrilling and suspenseful. There are different types of strikes that can be used that are more effective than some others. Just throwing the ball at an opponent isn't quite as effective as a special throw. Also, the distance between you and the opponent plays a role on how effective the attack is.

For the most part, the game is easy and offers little to no challenge at all. In all my matches, I have yet to be defeated. For the simple reason being that playing defense is really easy. I have yet to lose any of my team members. Whenever your life bar gets beaten down, that character will fly off like an angel. At various situations, I would finish off 2 or 3 of the opposing team's players in a matter of seconds. With its relative ease and lack of content, the game is more of a rental than a buy.

The graphical capabilities in this game feel a bit limited, as the game feels like a low-end Snes game. The graphical style does remind one of the games in the previous series. But something about it doesn't quite click like it used to. Perhaps, I've just moved on with the times. Despite that the game still has plenty of nice background details. Along with the game's graphics, the soundtrack also feels solid. While it could definitely have been better, there really isn't anything to complain about, since this game's main objective is to smash people's face in.

I can't really complain about Super Dodge Ball Advance. It has been the sequel that has evaded me for years. And now that I have finally played it, I feel disappointed. It simply has not aged well. It plays like its predecessors, but the game's overall sense of fun just doesn't compare to the good ol' days. Perhaps I have matured or games have simply gotten a lot better, but regardless, it just didn't feel quite right. However, even with that said, the game still has plenty of fun. And despite its extremely short length, lack of content and overall easiness, the game is still fun for a while. I would recommend picking it up only if you can find it for cheap. For others, a rental would suffice.

Pros
+ Fast pace action
+ Different types of throws
+ Offered a different perspective to playing dodge ball
+ Solid sountrack
+ Smashing a person's face in with the ball

Cons
- Lack of content
- Really easy
- Modes are quite short
- Not what it used to be
- Graphics aren't all that great

Graphics - 6/10
Gameplay - 6/10
Sound - 8/10
Value - 5/10
Presentation - 7/10
Overall - 6.4/10

Reviewer's Score: 6/10, Originally Posted: 03/06/06