Super Dodge Ball Review - Screenshot 1 of 2

The characters from River City Ransom (of which the main character is known in Japan as Kunio-kun) are back for a friendly game of dodge ball. Or are they?

If you've played the aforementioned game, you'll know that the Kunio series hilariously overdoes everything. You were able to smash enemies around not just with chains, but also with trashcans; it's a similar story for Super Dodge Ball — you don't just gently hit each opponent with the ball, you have to smash it into their faces as hard as you can!

Like River City Ransom, the characters have statistics - there's Energy, Throwing Power, Throwing Technique, Ball Break, Agility and more. Each team consists of six players, and as they all have different stats it's wise to put them in positions where their skills benefit you the most.

Super Dodge Ball Review - Screenshot 2 of 2

Like in real dodge ball, the objective is to eliminate all opponents in the main field by hitting them with the ball. Both teams have 3 players in the main field, and 3 more players surrounding the opponents' half; unlike real dodge ball, however, hitting an opponent won't immediately take him out — each player has his own HP, which means you'll have to hit them multiple times to defeat them. Thankfully this also means you can afford to make some mistakes.

You have a whole arsenal of moves to take out the enemy; aside from standard throws and passes, each character possesses two power shots. One of these can be performed by running and throwing, and the other by running, jumping and throwing. These special shots differ for each character, but overall are extremely powerful — you can't resist the temptation of a shot that warps from one spot to the other, or a shot that's so powerful it sends the opponent flying around the entire world!

Aside from a regular tournament mode where you beat teams from around the world, and a 2-player versus mode, there is also a "Bean Ball" mode. In this mode the only participating characters are all 6 players from one of the teams; your objective is to beat each other. You're thrown into a battlefield with one ball and have to hit and dodge as much as possible. This can also be played with 2 players and is quite fun.

Conclusion

Overall, Super Dodge Ball is pretty much a dodge ball extension of River City Ransom. If you liked its humour, style and gameplay, you will most likely enjoy this as well.