Super Dodge Ball (1988 video game)

Gameplay

The NES version of Super Dodge Ball builds on the arcade original by assigning each team member a unique name and set of statistics. Beyond the single-player tournament and two-player versus modes, there is a "bean ball" mode where all six members of Team USA compete in a free-for-all until only one player remains. The goal in every match is to eliminate the opposing team by hitting its members with a dodge ball. Each character has a life gauge that decreases when hit, and when it reaches zero, that player is out. If a character is struck while their life gauge is at three bars or fewer, they enter a "tired" state, giving the opponent a brief advantage. Every character also has individual stats and two special power shots: one executed while running and another during a running jump.

The single-player mode is called World Cup play, where the player controls Team USA through a tournament of eight rival teams with unusual rules. To win a match, the player must knock out all three infield members of the opposing team, but if the player's own three infield members are all eliminated, the match is lost. The tournament begins against another American team, then moves through seven international teams: England, India, Iceland, China, Kenya, and Japan. The final match is against Team USSR. If the player loses at least one infield member during the USSR match, the game ends after defeating them. However, if all three infield members survive, an extra match takes place on Team USSR's home court against Team Shadow, a clone of Team USA with members positioned identically to the player's team.

Two teams have special home courts. Iceland's court is a slippery ice surface, while Kenya's court is a swamp that makes running difficult. The two-player versus mode lets both players choose any of the nine teams from World Cup mode, including the same team. Before each match, players can adjust their team formations, but there is only one fixed court available. The rules in versus mode are identical to those in World Cup play.

Teams

In World Cup and bean ball mode, the player controls Team USA, captained by Sam Powers. His teammates are John Stone, Mike Knopfler, Randy Sting, Bill Flash, and Steve Sato. The other American squad, Team Pro All-Stars, is led by Jack, the team's strongest player who typically keeps the ball. While their physical strength is lacking, they excel at defense and intercepting shots. Their specialty is Ball Breaking, and David, a Type E player, has the highest ball control in the game. Jack uses his 'Upper' Shot. Their stage is on a rooftop with the Statue of Liberty behind them.

Team England is led by James, and their strength is shooting technique. Henry, a Type F player, has the best shooting technique of any character. They have high stamina but become weak when hit, and their agility is low. James uses an aerial power shot called 'The Tsunami'. Their stage is along the River Thames with Tower Bridge in the background. Their theme music is loosely based on the Beatles' "Get Back," with references to "I Want To Hold Your Hand" and "A Hard Day's Night."

Team India, under Rajiv, has low stamina but very high agility and ball breaking skills. Their specialty is high resistance. They lack a firm strategy and often pass to outfield members, but their passes are easier to steal than those of teams like China. Because of their defensive specialty, Swami, a Type B player, is the most resilient character by default; a super shot only costs him 2 health points. Rajiv mostly uses the 'Stinger'. Their stage is in front of the Taj Mahal.

Team Iceland, led by Helgi, has high ball power and good resistance but is slow. Their specialty is Energy, and Helgi has the highest energy in the game at 64. They rely on individual power plays, rarely passing or crouching to dodge. Helgi uses his Ground 'Warp' Shot. Their stage is an icy field with only penguins in the background.

Regional differences

The two versions of the game swapped the nationalities of the Japanese and American teams, just like the arcade original. In the Famicom release, what appear as Team USA and Team Pro All-Stars are actually Nekketsu High School and Hanazono High School, both Japanese schools. The USSR team appears second-to-last in the Famicom version; its captain looks the same as in the other version, but its stats match those of the NES version's Team Japan. The final opponent in the Famicom version is Team USA, whose captain shares the design of Team Japan's captain in the NES version, yet its stats are identical to the NES version's Team USSR. Nekketsu Kōkō Dodgeball Bu was the first Famicom title to support up to four players at once. Two extra players can join in Bean Ball mode by connecting another controller or a multi-controller adapter like HAL's Joypair or Hori's Twin Adapter to the console's expansion port. Because the NES Four Score and NES Satellite hadn't been released when this game was made, the NES version only supports two players. In the Famicom version, resetting the game triggers a voice clip of Kunio shouting his catchphrase, "Namen nayo!"