Ballz

[Melf]

Fighting games are a dime a dozen. Good fighting games, on the other hand, are about as common as a tap dancing bulldog. Fans of the genre must wade though a soup of crap to find those games worth playing, and some titles manage to sneak by due to a goofy gimmick or popular license. Accolade's Ballz is one title that whose worth is still debated by gamers, with some applauding the great 3D feel and fresh direction, while others decry the questionable gameplay. Wondering whether it's worth your money? Read our full review and decide for yourself.

[The Sports Guy]

Gosh, I remember this game. I remember being six or seven and going "Ooh! Look at that box" and then renting it and then being like that scene from the Christmas episode of Family Guy going "TURN IT OFF TURN IT OFF TURN IT OFF! (when frosty is hit with the fire)". All kidding aside however, this is pretty bad. Almost Tommy Fuckin Lasorda Baseball bad.

[Benjamin]

I really hate the name. I don't care how old you get -- you just can't say "I like Ballz" or "I had fun with my friend's Ballz back in the day" and not get laughed at or somesuch.

Still, I liked Ballz. Yes, it's shallow. Shallow isn't encouraged, but I think it's okay if the game is fun. I'd liken it to Fighting Masters in that stupid fun sense. PF Magic would make oodles of cash turning the Ballz engine into Catz and Dogz, Oddballz and (I think they even did) Babiez. Catz and Dogz was fun, too.

I will dispute saying the game is 2.5-D, which usually denotes being on a 2-D flat plane within a 3-D environment. Ballz really is 3-D -- it has depth and a similar kind of X/Y/Z movement as Toshiden or any other poor 3-D fighter.

[Mr Smith]

I agree with the contempt contained within this review. A dire game at best.

[probablee]

Poor Vince! ;___;

[VinnyT]

Did I sound that sad?

[Zebbe]

with out
back grounds

Good review though, I agree with it.

[VinnyT]

Nitpicking today are we?

Now I'm sad and bad with grammar.

[Zebbe]

Nitpicking? No, just helping out. I expect you to do the same on all of my articles you read, VinnyT.

[Smii]

I quite enjoyed playing Ballz (hee hee!)*. I got it years ago, ex-rental, for about £5 - probably the best way I could've been introduced to the thing. And I agree it can be more of a button mashing contest than a playable fighter, & the sound's a bit dodgy, &etc - but I'm still not sure why it's hated so much, especially in comparison to other MD fighters (which are mostly a bit crap). And it has a giant green t-rex! Surely that should gain it an additional point

I guess it's an unusual game, due to the feel of it alone you'll probably straight away either like it or hate it. In retrospect, it kind of reminds me of the sort of weird stuff you get on the Amiga (though it's much better than the typical 10-year-loading, two-button, shoddy-when-moving Amiga beat-em-ups). If you do manage to get into it, it's quite fun. Well - I thought so anyway... meh.

*I'm sure it'd be difficult to actually get any sound out of them. Unless you wanted to create some kind of inflated drum thing. Or I suppose, if you stuck pipes in them you could create a wind instrument. A bit like bagpipes, only... veinier? Oh, God... I should sleep more.

[ThunderForce]

Oh god. Hated this game.

[Aarzak]

I suggest that all you detractors give the superior SNES version a try, if only for its great soundtrack and the Mode-7 flooring:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qE7XS1_I7uk

[CMA Death Adder]

I bought this game for under $3 at FuncoLand. It served a great purpose: I opened the plastic cartridge shell, threw away the Ballz game board and replaced it with something else.

[Melf]

I just realized that this is our 500th review.

[VinnyT]

No shit?

Sweeeet.