Super Dodgeball Advance is a reimagining of the Super Dodgeball on the NES. While I like the game, it didn’t have enough added to it. However, when I played this game, I didn’t know about the NES game.
So, I have two reactions to this. In 2001, I liked this game! It was great to play while working at a pizza place and waiting for the deliveries to be ready. When I played it recently and learned more about both games, I can see where the criticism comes from.
I still think this is a fun game to play. It’s a nice stress relief to play a game like this sometimes.
TLDR: This is a good remake of a classic game, but it doesn’t have much added to it.
Gameplay
You play in a tournament where you go up against teams worldwide. Each team consists of eight players, and seven of those players participate in each game. Four players are on the playfield, and three are positioned around the opposite side of the field.
The gameplay is relatively simple. You are trying to murder the other team in a game of dodgeball. You have to kill the four players on your opponent’s side.
Each player can perform a super attack that deals more damage. You can also pass the ball to one of the three players on the opposite side and have them attack. These do less damage but can be oddly satisfying to trap an opponent. They can also be annoying if this situation happens to you.
You can dodge and catch the balls that are thrown at you. I’m glad this all works because it would be strange if you couldn’t dodge in a game about dodgeball. You can also jump across the center line to deliver an attack.
There are two modes. You have a single-player mode, a tournament, and a two-player mode, a versus mode. At first, you can only play as one team. The more times you play, the more playable teams you can unlock. This is the only reason to play this game multiple times.
This is one of those games that worked well on the NES but didn’t have enough added when it was brought to a more powerful system.
Visuals
The graphics of the game are good. It is a cartoonish game that is played for laughs. Even when you knock an enemy out, they turn into a little angle and float away, making me think you’re killing the other team. It feels a little like one of the Mutant League games.
The one thing that I’ve read the most is how the art style has changed from the NES game to this one. The NES game used characters from the Kunio-kun series of games. These are the characters from the River City Ransom games.
I didn’t know this back in 2001 because I didn’t care to find out, and I hadn’t played River City Ransom at the time. Now that I know more about video games from the 80s and 90s, I don’t think this change matters that much.
I still like the style that was used, and these characters would fit in with the Kunio-Kun games. It is still played for comedy, and I like how the character sprites look.
8/10. This game is way more fun than it is. It doesn’t have the same character sprites as the NES game, but it is a great game to play!
Pros
- Pick-up and Play
- No story that you have to follow
- It is an enjoyable experience
Cons
- Short game
- Lack of replayability
- No connection to the previous game
Conclusion
This is a fun game that was one of the better games I played on the GBA back in 2001. The memories I have of it might be clouding my judgment. However, I still love this game!
It has some problems and doesn’t tie into the NES game. However, if you didn’t know that it was supposed to, then it wouldn’t matter. No storyline would need to be carried over from the NES game. So, you can enjoy this one on its own.