Title: Battle Dodge Ball
Release Date: 7/20/1991
Developer: Banpresto
Publisher: Banpresto
This game was one, for some reason, I really hemmed and hawed about digging into. I don't know why; it is a serviceable if forgettable NES Dodgeball clone (*shrug*).
Background
Twenty-six games in and we have a second Compati Heroes game (the first being SD: The Great Battle). If you need a quick refresher on exactly what the Compati Heroes series is, it is a series starring the chibi versions of famous Japanese television show characters. This game, like Great Battle, stars the main character from Mobile Suit Gundam, the Kamen Rider, and Ultraman, as well as their corresponding villains. Now while Great Battle was a platforming adventure game, this game is a Dodge Ball game in the same vein as Super Dodge Ball for the NES. In fact, it is pretty much a perfect rip of that game with Compati Heroes characters.
Banpresto is an interesting studio. It started as an arcade subcontractor for Sega called Hoei Sangyo Co. Ltd (eventually Coreland), before getting bought by Bandai in 1989. Bandai changed the name of the studio to Banpresto, and used it push out their licensed Japanese properties' games. Now there are some games that are coming down the pipeline that are truly unique (Pocky and Rocky is one that I am very excited for), and wholly Japanese in their aesthetic.
Gameplay
The game isn't quite played as a traditional game of dodgeball. Catching a ball doesn't get the person who threw the ball out, and the game is played with a "Health" bar for each character. The game actually is based off of how dodgeball is played in Japan. In Japan, the rectangular court is split into two equal halves. Each team has three players on each side of the court, as well as three other players who hang "out of bounds" on the side and behind the opposing team. The three players hanging out of bounds cannot be removed, and are there to keep your players on their toes when your ball goes outside the court.
Other than that, your characters are removed when their health bar is diminished after being struck repeatedly by the dodgeball. It takes about 7-8 hits to each character for them to be defeated. The game is not terribly challenging and revolves mainly around your characters corralling the opposing team into position so they can't dodge your strikes.
Is the game any fun? Not really. The matches and the action of the gameplay is very slow. Your characters, as well, can't move very quickly, which takes the "dodge" out of dodgeball. The health bar mechanic, too, actually does the game a disservice as it makes each match a slog. Finally, there is no real story mode, just match after match after match. No final match against the Compati Heroes main bad guy, Dark Brain...nothing.
Any good music at least?
Eh. It's okay.
Ads, Art, Commercials
There is a commercial, but you will have to follow this link...
https://tay.kinja.com/late-tay-retro-super-famicom-battle-dodgeball-1842281866
Final Verdict
The aesthetic of this game is really enjoyable. It is very "Japanese," it is very cute, and the aesthetic is pleasantly colorful. The gameplay, though, makes this game a slog, which is not what you want a kinetic and action packed game like dodgeball to be. Overall, this is a nice curio, but otherwise a forgettable piece of software.
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