Speedball (video game)
Encyclopedia
Speedball is a video game series based on a violent futuristic cyberpunk
sport
that draws on elements of handball
and ice hockey
, and rewards violent play as well as goals. Three games were developed by the Bitmap Brothers
, and a fourth by Kylotonn
. The games were released on a variety of different formats from 1988 to 2011.
. The court contains elements that affect gameplay, such as score multipliers and power ups
. Points are scored by successfully getting the ball into the goal, and also by injuring opposition players. The team that has amassed the most points at the end of the game is the winner.
A player has control of only one outfield player
on a team at any one time. The game may be played by one or two players; two player games are played competitively.
for the Atari ST
and ported
to the Amiga
, PC
(DOS
), Commodore 64
and the Sega Master System
; it was also for the NES
as Klashball. It was re-released in 2004 as one of the 30 games on the C64 Direct-to-TV
.
Reception
The game received scores of 862 (DOS) and 834 (Atari ST) out of 1000 from ACE
, 79% from Mean Machines
and 57% from Power Play. The game won the 1989 Golden Joystick Game Of The Year award. Computer Gaming World
gave the game a positive review, praising its graphics and long-lasting gameplay.
The game was released for several platforms, including the Atari ST
, Amiga
, Amiga CD32
, PC, Commodore 64, NES
, Sega Mega Drive
, Sega Master System, Game Boy
and Game Boy Advance
. The first version was released in 1990
for the Atari ST
, the most recent version version for the GBA in 2002.
Speedball 2 makes several changes over the original Speedball. Teams have nine players on court rather than five, and targets on the floor and walls can be hit to receive bonus points. The amount of points that a team receives for scoring a goal starts at 10 but can be increased to 15 or 20 via the use of score multipliers located on the walls of the pitch. The same amount of points for scoring a goal is given for injuring a player from the opposing team. When a player is injured, he is replaced by one of three substitutes. If all three substitutes are injured, the injured player will be forced to return to the game and play on in spite of his injuries. There are five game modes: knockout, cup, league, practise and multiplayer. Each game lasts for 180 seconds.
Reception
Speedball 2 is one of Bitmap Brothers' most successful titles. Zzap, CU Amiga
and Computer and Video Games
scored the game highly.
The music, written by Simon Rogers and remixed and coded by Richard Joseph
, won the 1991 Golden Joystick Award for Best Soundtrack.
version for the Xbox 360
, to be priced at 800 Microsoft Points
($10 USD). The game was released on October 17, 2007, and features a 3D graphics mode in addition to the "classic" visuals, as well as additional teams and online play. Based on statements by the Bitmap Brothers, the XBLA version of the game takes place in the 24th century.
This version of the game has now been delisted from the Xbox Live Arcade, however, people who have already downloaded it are still able to play it.
, is a 3D
version of Speedball 2 with more options such as choosing and renaming any team, instead of having to play with Brutal Deluxe. Released in September 2000
, the game failed to convince gamers and press, as it lacked the speed and gameplay of the previous 2D games.
.
Cyberpunk
Cyberpunk is a postmodern and science fiction genre noted for its focus on "high tech and low life." The name is a portmanteau of cybernetics and punk, and was originally coined by Bruce Bethke as the title of his short story "Cyberpunk," published in 1983...
sport
Sports game
A sports game is a computer or video game that simulates the practice of traditional sports. Most sports have been recreated with a game, including team sports, athletics and extreme sports. Some games emphasize actually playing the sport , whilst others emphasize strategy and organization...
that draws on elements of handball
Team handball
Handball is a team sport in which two teams of seven players each pass a ball to throw it into the goal of the other team...
and ice hockey
Ice hockey
Ice hockey, often referred to as hockey, is a team sport played on ice, in which skaters use wooden or composite sticks to shoot a hard rubber puck into their opponent's net. The game is played between two teams of six players each. Five members of each team skate up and down the ice trying to take...
, and rewards violent play as well as goals. Three games were developed by the Bitmap Brothers
Bitmap Brothers
The Bitmap Brothers were a UK based video game developer founded in 1987. The company entered the industry in 1988 with the scrolling shooter Xenon. They quickly followed with the classic Speedball...
, and a fourth by Kylotonn
Kylotonn
Kylotonn Games is a French video game developer company, located in Paris, France. It was founded in 2002 by Roman Vincent and Yann Tambellini. The company is most notable for developing Bet on Soldier and its expansions.- Games :...
. The games were released on a variety of different formats from 1988 to 2011.
Gameplay
The game is played by two teams on an enclosed court with a goal at each end, similar to that of ice hockey or five-a-side footballFive-a-side football
thumb|240px|alt=Men playing football on artificial grass pitch.|Five-a-side game on astroturf pitch.Five-a-side football is a variation of association football in which each team fields five players , rather than the usual eleven on each team. Other differences from football include a smaller...
. The court contains elements that affect gameplay, such as score multipliers and power ups
Power-up
In computer and video games, power-ups are objects that instantly benefit or add extra abilities to the game character as a game mechanic. This is in contrast to an item, which may or may not have a benefit and can be used at a time chosen by the player...
. Points are scored by successfully getting the ball into the goal, and also by injuring opposition players. The team that has amassed the most points at the end of the game is the winner.
A player has control of only one outfield player
Outfield
The outfield is a sporting term used in cricket and baseball to refer to the area of the field of play further from the batsman or batter than the infield...
on a team at any one time. The game may be played by one or two players; two player games are played competitively.
Speedball
Speedball was released in November 19881988 in video gaming
-Events:*June — Nintendo releases the last issue of "Nintendo fun club news";*July — Nintendo releases the first issue of Nintendo Power magazine.-Notable releases:*January 8, Konami releases Super Contra....
for the Atari ST
Atari ST
The Atari ST is a home/personal computer that was released by Atari Corporation in 1985 and commercially available from that summer into the early 1990s. The "ST" officially stands for "Sixteen/Thirty-two", which referred to the Motorola 68000's 16-bit external bus and 32-bit internals...
and ported
Porting
In computer science, porting is the process of adapting software so that an executable program can be created for a computing environment that is different from the one for which it was originally designed...
to the Amiga
Amiga
The Amiga is a family of personal computers that was sold by Commodore in the 1980s and 1990s. The first model was launched in 1985 as a high-end home computer and became popular for its graphical, audio and multi-tasking abilities...
, PC
IBM PC compatible
IBM PC compatible computers are those generally similar to the original IBM PC, XT, and AT. Such computers used to be referred to as PC clones, or IBM clones since they almost exactly duplicated all the significant features of the PC architecture, facilitated by various manufacturers' ability to...
(DOS
MS-DOS
MS-DOS is an operating system for x86-based personal computers. It was the most commonly used member of the DOS family of operating systems, and was the main operating system for IBM PC compatible personal computers during the 1980s to the mid 1990s, until it was gradually superseded by operating...
), Commodore 64
Commodore 64
The Commodore 64 is an 8-bit home computer introduced by Commodore International in January 1982.Volume production started in the spring of 1982, with machines being released on to the market in August at a price of US$595...
and the Sega Master System
Sega Master System
The is a third-generation video game console that was manufactured and released by Sega in 1985 in Japan , 1986 in North America and 1987 in Europe....
; it was also for the NES
Nintendo Entertainment System
The Nintendo Entertainment System is an 8-bit video game console that was released by Nintendo in North America during 1985, in Europe during 1986 and Australia in 1987...
as Klashball. It was re-released in 2004 as one of the 30 games on the C64 Direct-to-TV
C64 Direct-to-TV
The C64 Direct-to-TV, called C64DTV for short, is a single-chip implementation of the Commodore 64 computer, contained in a joystick with 30 built-in games. The design is similar to the Atari Classics 10-in-1 TV Game...
.
Reception
The game received scores of 862 (DOS) and 834 (Atari ST) out of 1000 from ACE
ACE (games magazine)
ACE was a multi-format computer and video game magazine first published in the United Kingdom by Future Publishing and later acquired by EMAP.-History:...
, 79% from Mean Machines
Mean Machines
Mean Machines was a market-leading multi-format gaming magazine released between 1990 and 1992 in the United Kingdom. Its style was popular with gamers of the time for its irreverent humor, anarchic editorial tone and style, and its sometimes outrageously outspoken reviews.- Origins :In the late...
and 57% from Power Play. The game won the 1989 Golden Joystick Game Of The Year award. Computer Gaming World
Computer Gaming World
Computer Gaming World was a computer game magazine founded in 1981 by Russell Sipe as a bimonthly publication. Early issues were typically 40-50 pages in length, written in a newsletter style, including submissions by game designers such as Joel Billings , Dan Bunten , and Chris Crawford...
gave the game a positive review, praising its graphics and long-lasting gameplay.
Speedball 2: Brutal Deluxe
According to the game story, the first Speedball league (founded in the year 2095) fails due to violence and corruption. As the organisation gives place to anarchy the game is forced underground, but five years later, in an attempt to regain public interest, Speedball 2 is born. The game starts in 2105 with the emergence of a new team, Brutal Deluxe.The game was released for several platforms, including the Atari ST
Atari ST
The Atari ST is a home/personal computer that was released by Atari Corporation in 1985 and commercially available from that summer into the early 1990s. The "ST" officially stands for "Sixteen/Thirty-two", which referred to the Motorola 68000's 16-bit external bus and 32-bit internals...
, Amiga
Amiga
The Amiga is a family of personal computers that was sold by Commodore in the 1980s and 1990s. The first model was launched in 1985 as a high-end home computer and became popular for its graphical, audio and multi-tasking abilities...
, Amiga CD32
Amiga CD32
The Amiga CD32, styled "CD32" , was the first 32-bit CD-ROM based video game console released in western Europe, Australia, Canada and Brazil. It was first announced at the Science Museum in London, United Kingdom on 16 July 1993, and was released in September of the same year...
, PC, Commodore 64, NES
Nintendo Entertainment System
The Nintendo Entertainment System is an 8-bit video game console that was released by Nintendo in North America during 1985, in Europe during 1986 and Australia in 1987...
, Sega Mega Drive
Sega Mega Drive
The Sega Genesis is a fourth-generation video game console developed and produced by Sega. It was originally released in Japan in 1988 as , then in North America in 1989 as Sega Genesis, and in Europe, Australia and other PAL regions in 1990 as Mega Drive. The reason for the two names is that...
, Sega Master System, Game Boy
Game Boy
The , is an 8-bit handheld video game device developed and manufactured by Nintendo. It was released in Japan on , in North America in , and in Europe on...
and Game Boy Advance
Game Boy Advance
The is a 32-bit handheld video game console developed, manufactured, and marketed by Nintendo. It is the successor to the Game Boy Color. It was released in Japan on March 21, 2001; in North America on June 11, 2001; in Australia and Europe on June 22, 2001; and in the People's Republic of China...
. The first version was released in 1990
1990 in video gaming
-Notable releases:*Bonk's Adventure is released for NEC's TurboGrafx-16 and is the first US appearance of Bonk, the mascot of the TurboGrafx-16.*February 12 — Nintendo releases the NES game Super Mario Bros. 3 in North America...
for the Atari ST
Atari ST
The Atari ST is a home/personal computer that was released by Atari Corporation in 1985 and commercially available from that summer into the early 1990s. The "ST" officially stands for "Sixteen/Thirty-two", which referred to the Motorola 68000's 16-bit external bus and 32-bit internals...
, the most recent version version for the GBA in 2002.
Speedball 2 makes several changes over the original Speedball. Teams have nine players on court rather than five, and targets on the floor and walls can be hit to receive bonus points. The amount of points that a team receives for scoring a goal starts at 10 but can be increased to 15 or 20 via the use of score multipliers located on the walls of the pitch. The same amount of points for scoring a goal is given for injuring a player from the opposing team. When a player is injured, he is replaced by one of three substitutes. If all three substitutes are injured, the injured player will be forced to return to the game and play on in spite of his injuries. There are five game modes: knockout, cup, league, practise and multiplayer. Each game lasts for 180 seconds.
Reception
Speedball 2 is one of Bitmap Brothers' most successful titles. Zzap, CU Amiga
Commodore User
Commodore User, known to the readers as the abbreviated CU, was one of the oldest British Commodore magazines. A publishing history spanning over 15 years, mixing content with technical and games features...
and Computer and Video Games
Computer and video games
A video game is an electronic game that involves human interaction with a user interface to generate visual feedback on a video device. The word video in video game traditionally referred to a raster display device, but following popularization of the term "video game", it now implies any type of...
scored the game highly.
The music, written by Simon Rogers and remixed and coded by Richard Joseph
Richard Joseph
Richard Joseph was a British computer game composer, musician and sound specialist. He had a career spanning some 20 years starting in the early days of gaming on the C64 and the Amiga and onto succeeding formats through to the present day.After being diagnosed with lung cancer, he died on 4 March...
, won the 1991 Golden Joystick Award for Best Soundtrack.
Xbox Live Arcade
Empire Interactive officially announced an Xbox Live ArcadeXbox Live Arcade
Xbox Live Arcade is a type of video game download distribution available primarily in a section of the Xbox Live Marketplace, Microsoft's digital distribution network for the Xbox 360, that focuses on smaller downloadable games from both major publishers and independent game developers...
version for the Xbox 360
Xbox 360
The Xbox 360 is the second video game console produced by Microsoft and the successor to the Xbox. The Xbox 360 competes with Sony's PlayStation 3 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generation of video game consoles...
, to be priced at 800 Microsoft Points
Microsoft Points
Microsoft Points are the currency of the Xbox Live Marketplace, Games for Windows - Live Marketplace, Windows Live Gallery, and Zune online stores. The points allow users to purchase content without a credit card and to reduce the number of small credit card transaction fees, which Microsoft would...
($10 USD). The game was released on October 17, 2007, and features a 3D graphics mode in addition to the "classic" visuals, as well as additional teams and online play. Based on statements by the Bitmap Brothers, the XBLA version of the game takes place in the 24th century.
This version of the game has now been delisted from the Xbox Live Arcade, however, people who have already downloaded it are still able to play it.
Speedball 2100
Speedball 2100, released only for the PlayStationPlayStation
The is a 32-bit fifth-generation video game console first released by Sony Computer Entertainment in Japan on December 3, .The PlayStation was the first of the PlayStation series of consoles and handheld game devices. The PlayStation 2 was the console's successor in 2000...
, is a 3D
3D computer graphics
3D computer graphics are graphics that use a three-dimensional representation of geometric data that is stored in the computer for the purposes of performing calculations and rendering 2D images...
version of Speedball 2 with more options such as choosing and renaming any team, instead of having to play with Brutal Deluxe. Released in September 2000
2000 in video gaming
-Events:* May 11–13 — 6th annual Electronic Entertainment Expo ; the 3rd annual Game Critics Awards for the Best of E³* June 26 — International Game Developers Association renamed from Computer Game Developers Association...
, the game failed to convince gamers and press, as it lacked the speed and gameplay of the previous 2D games.
Speedball 2 Tournament
In November 2007, Frogster Interactive Pictures released a sequel to Speedball, developed by KylotonnKylotonn
Kylotonn Games is a French video game developer company, located in Paris, France. It was founded in 2002 by Roman Vincent and Yann Tambellini. The company is most notable for developing Bet on Soldier and its expansions.- Games :...
.
Speedball 2 Evolution
In February 2011, Tower Studios released a updated version of Speedball 2 for the iPhone and iPod Touch, developed by Vivid Games complete with multiplayer support and achievements via Game Center. This game was released for the Playstation 3 too.Similar games
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External links
- Bitmap Brothers pages on Speedball, Speedball 2: Brutal Deluxe, 2100 and Arena
- Frogster Interactive page on Speedball 2 (2007)
- Various websites reporting on the remake announcement: RetroGT, BD Gamer, and Firing Squad