I'm usually not one to brag, but I'm a pretty good dodgeball player.
I may not be an expert, but I play in a NYC co-ed charity league, and my team won the championship last season. To boot, I spent many hours of my youth playing "Super Dodgeball" on the NES. And I don't think there's been a good dodgeball video game since Techno's original release.
So when I heard there was going to be a sequel to "Super Dodgeball" released for the DS, I felt obligated to take it for a test run and see how it compared to the real thing.
While I couldn't help but enjoy "Super Dodgeball Brawlers," there were more than a few differences between it, and the real thing.
I'll preface my comparison by saying that I can only compare "Super Dodgeball Brawlers" to my league, and its rules. I completely understand the fact that there are other dodgeball leagues around the county that play with different rules, player configurations, balls, etc., but for the purposes of this post, I can only compare it to what I know. So here goes...
The Top Three Similarities:
1. Don't get hit with the ball. This one is fundamental to dodgeball. Getting hit with the ball means you are going to get out. Granted, there is a difference between the real world and the game world -- it only takes one hit to get knocked out in real life.
2. Different players have different styles. When you hit the court to play a game of dodgeball in real life and in the video game, you never know what you're going up against -- mainly because you don't know who you're going up against. In both games, different players have different styles of play, and you never know how the ball is going to come at you.
3. Item power-ups. While it might seem a little unrealistic, "Super Dodgeball" got item power-ups right. In the video game, the power-ups tend to be something a player can wear to increase their speed or stamina. In real life, I've found that a Red Bull before the game tends to increase both those qualities. It's not exactly the same thing, but close enough.
Honorable mentions: Team celebrations, and the length of the "seasons."
The Top 3 Differences:
1. The Basics (Number of players and number of balls). The absolute biggest difference between "Super Dodgeball" and real life is the fact that it is essentially a different game. My league starts with six players on the court for each team, and three balls per team - vastly different from the four-on-four, one ball gameplay of the DS title.
2. Weapons and Kicking. "Super Dodgeball Brawlers" offers some interesting ways to try to get your opponents out, including physical violence and weapons. While the wide range of attacks is extremely funny (items like baseballs and nuclear bombs show up) these moves just wouldn't cut it in the real world.
3. The locations. Our games take place in elementary school gyms all over Manhattan. "Dodgeball Brawlers" games take place on courts all over the world. Simply put, I'm jealous.
Honorable mentions: Jumping over the line, Hit point meter
Even though real life dodgeball and virtual dodgeball are vastly different, it doesn’t take away from the fun factor of either type. Each has their pros and cons. But the one thing that "Super Dodgeball Brawlers" has over the real thing -- I can play a whole season without throwing out my arm.
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