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 dodgeball. 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 stats - 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 is wise to put them in positions where their skills benefit you the most.
Like in real dodgeball, 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 of the field. Unlike real dodgeball, 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 with - 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! Basically, 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.
Overall, Super Dodge Ball is pretty much a dodgeball extension of River City Ransom. If you liked its humour, style and gameplay, you will most likely enjoy this as well.
1. jacknozwad
25 Apr 2008, 20:06 GMT
Im happy to see this actually. There is also a new dodgeball game coming to Nintendo DS... I still would like to see a VC to DS system with the Wii. Something like Sony does with the PSP and the PS3 using original Playstation games. Imagine playing NES on the go...
2. deggs
26 Apr 2008, 19:27 GMT
is this the one that allowed for four players to play simultaneously on the nes or was that a different dodge ball game?
3. deggs
26 Apr 2008, 19:29 GMT
actually, i think i'm thinking of super spike volley ball or something?
4. Cally
27 Apr 2008, 02:35 GMT
jacknozwad:
NO KIDDING! Especially when a PS1 game costs only six to ten bucks on that service. And yeah, that would make me quite a bit less conscience-stricken about the money we shell out for games older than that (both on the tube and on the go)--they could easily do it, too, as proven by the pirating scene (yeah I have morals--I pay for stuff . . . probably paying for all the pirates' stuff too
) from everything short of the N64.
Come on, Nintendo. You're winning the console wars. Share the happiness!
5. jacknozwad
28 Apr 2008, 00:37 GMT
To deggs... yeah that was super spike... another fun and somewhat odd sports title.
To Cally... Im ok with the current prices for VC games... when I look at my ps3 for games i get a bit pissed off as there really isn't a selection of good games. for instance: nintendo gets at least 1-3 classic games per week... PS3 is lucky to see 1 classic release per month.
6. jacknozwad
28 Apr 2008, 00:37 GMT
To deggs... yeah that was super spike... another fun and somewhat odd sports title.
To Cally... Im ok with the current prices for VC games... when I look at my ps3 for games i get a bit pissed off as there really isn't a selection of good games. for instance: nintendo gets at least 1-3 classic games per week... PS3 is lucky to see 1 classic release per month.
7. michinmuri
28 Apr 2008, 06:32 GMT
OMG! This is a classic piece of NES awesomness. You will not go worng with this download. There is some slowdown and times when the game can't process all that's going on (things start to flicker a bit) but it's still so awesome. At 500 points you need to pick this game up! Like it said above, if you like sports and River City Ransom, you will love this.
8. jakers007
09 May 2008, 17:05 GMT
i used to love this game growing up and still played it not too long ago. the original copy that i had broke so this will be an immediate purchase. countless hours were spent playing this one especially with friends.
9. Villain
02 Jun 2008, 09:42 GMT
Now this is my kind of sports game! Beating the senses out of various ball players from around the world with a ball and calling it sports...finalle a NES game for me to look forward to. Had a lot of good memories of this game playing it Vs with a friend.
10. AlphaNerd01
19 Jun 2008, 00:12 GMT
I'm surprised this wasn't released in correlation with the Super Dodge Ball game on the DS. That would of been marketing gold.
11. Mickeymac
11 Jul 2008, 23:17 GMT
Wooh! This is the game I wait for every week! Can't wait!
12. CyclopsScott
21 Jul 2008, 09:45 GMT
Amazing game, need it.
13. occipital
13 Aug 2008, 10:30 GMT
One of the best games for the NES. Bar none.
14. Mr. Cheez
31 Aug 2008, 03:38 GMT
I love River City Ransom, and I love Dodgeball, so I'll be looking out for this one. I'd much rather download this then get the GBA or DS game for X-times the price.
15. TheLuigiDude
02 Sep 2008, 00:27 GMT
Mr. Cheez, the later versions of the game are much better! I mean if you're a big fan of the original then by all means get Brawlers, its so much fun. While Advance is much faster, I like how Brawlers is the most Kunio style out of the bunch. That said I still enjoy the original, but screw that we need the uber rare Neo Geo one instead!
16. Mr. Cheez
03 Sep 2008, 22:56 GMT
@TheLuigiDude. Wait, so the remakes ARE worth the cash, you say? That's good to hear. I was going to get Brawlers at one point, but I decided not to, since I seem to be coming down with a severe case of "DS remake fever". Fire Emblem, Krby Superstar, FF IV, Chrono Trigger, DQ IV, you get the picture. Even though I never played the original game, I think I'll give Brawlers a shot. It keeps the RCR-style graphics (Which is half the appeal of this game for me.), and it's much easier to get a multiplayer match together, as I don't have to mess with the link cables (which me nor anyone else uses anymore anyways.).
After all, that'll probably be easier than waiting for this to come out.
17. Adamant
22 Sep 2008, 21:52 GMT
Psst, guys, Super Dodgeball is older than River City Ransom. The characters aren't "back".
18. Mickeymac
23 Sep 2008, 00:11 GMT
Yes it's finally here!
I'll download it as soon as I get a chance, it looks really fun!
19. Jashin
23 Sep 2008, 02:20 GMT
Well, does this mean, we get a chance to play Nintendo World Cup soon? I hpoe so...
20. Ragnor
23 Sep 2008, 04:17 GMT
I love RCR, but I doubt I'll get this one when its out in EU (If its not one of those US and JP only games)
21. Atlantis1982
23 Sep 2008, 07:04 GMT
I might pick this up later, it does look fun and silly.
22. Captain_Konami
23 Sep 2008, 09:09 GMT
The release of this and Megaman 2 go a LONG ways toward rounding out my NES must haves list. If someone can get Big N to conjure up Pro Wrestling and Goonies II some time soon, this might be the month in the history of the world.
As far as the RCR characters games, all that is really missing now is that Soccer game they made as a sort of Super dodge ball parallel, and They will have done the little flat top guys a true service.
Super dodge ball is uttely amazing. It has only moderate depth and options, yet it is so clean and designed with such great intuitive and responsive controls, and the mix of throws and power throws provide just enough to both blast people out of the court and also strategize a bit. I still have my NES and this game, and I LOVE standing just a bit away from the midline, do a blind catch and then run up and power blast the other player in the back of the head while they are trying to retreat!!
And........ there is no force on earth or in this game that can stand against a well used Sam. (a jumping power shot from Sam flying out the back of the court can REALLY do some damage due to "screen pull". Ohhhhh how I LOVE classic NES game mechanics!
23. Betagam7
23 Sep 2008, 11:58 GMT
My God, that is some of the worst sprite flicker I've ever seen in my life!
Nice to see the Union Jack once again solely representing England as it irroneously did in every 80's and early 90's sports game
24. Adamant
23 Sep 2008, 13:27 GMT
@Ragnor: I THINK Super Dodgeball never got a European release back in the day. It never got a Norwegian one, at least.
(Nintendo World Cup got a release, though - when are they putting THAT on the VC?)
25. Adroitone
23 Sep 2008, 15:23 GMT
Have any of you played the great Neo Geo version? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fzEuKHW08tQ
26. occipital
24 Sep 2008, 08:21 GMT
I'm with the Captain on this one. Great game, and yes there us flicker, but after a little bit you don't even notice. As for the Pro Wrestling and Goonies II, man, I hear ya.
My fave shot in this game is the one where the ball goes very slow, but if it isn't properly caught, your player flies across the screen a few times. Hilarity at its finest.
27. WarGreymon77
24 Sep 2008, 08:34 GMT
lol @ when the guys get hit by the ball. I'm a River City Ransom veteran from the NES days, but I've never played this game before. Gotta love when the bodies go flying. By the way, no I don't own a Wii yet. I was judging this game by the video clip.
28. Captain_Konami
25 Sep 2008, 04:46 GMT
@Adroitone: Huh. I've never seen that version before. After being brought up on the relative simplicity of NES one, that looks pretty freaky (but probably quite fun). Kinda reminds me of Metal Slug compared to Contra.
@occipital: Ditto on the nature of the flicker, you can almost get used to it as just a alternate mode of game play.
And YES, the irony of the slowest shot in the game launching the person...... perfection! That, the around the world, and the accelerator one (the one that's launched from a super jump, sails down to the ground and runs parallel and picks up speed the whole time......especially when launched from the BACK of your own court 
) are beauty in motion.
When I was younger, I thought the lightening shot was the coolest thing around..........until a friend showed me how frickin easy it was to dodge (until that trick, all I had was a last minute dash to out run it....
). But now it's all about Sam the Man. 
Oh, and gotta love that Kenya level...... running power shots almost standing still. This game really amazes me in it's smart chosen variety.
29. kralos123
25 Sep 2008, 18:30 GMT
It's a very funny game indeed... I have it original on my NES.
This is one of the earliest "kunio-kun" game of the series, so the graphics isn't quite like river city ransom, nitntendo world cup, and so on...
Have you seen the TG16 version of this game? It's a lot better in graphics and playability, but the best version is for NEOGEO... It would be very nice to see this version on VC!!
30. Big A2
14 Oct 2008, 21:35 GMT
Great, we have to wait untill the next Hanabi Festival to have a slight chance of getting this game.
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