Review: Sportsball (Wii U eShop)

GOOOAAALLLLL

Nintendo consoles have a long history of offering a variety of games tailored towards a local multiplayer experience. However, with the option to have online play many developers simply choose to ignore the potential of a local only multiplayer party game. TOO DX set out to capture the excitement of gaming in the same room as friends with Sportsball, and proves that local play is just as viable as online.

Sportsball controls similarly to classic arcade game Joust, with lance wielding players riding upon the back of a large bird. By moving around the screen each character attempts to ram into the other players, after a few hits a character needs to revive on the field and loses precious time. Hitting another player causes a number of balls to drop onto the playing field, and the goal is to hit as many as possible into the on screen goal.

The joy of Sportsball comes from this simple yet addictive concept of hitting opponents, trying to score and avoid taking damage all at once. When you add in three other players all in the same room, the game is a blast to play. Sportsball quickly reveals itself to be more complex than it first appears too, with techniques such as a quick drop and dunking just waiting to be discovered.

The levels themselves are all simply designed, yet creatively, so as to allow creative and skilled players to bounce the balls around the screen and into the goal, as well as providing different pathways and hiding places. When a character flies off screen they simply reappear on the other side, Balloon Fighter style, which adds another layer of depth to Sportsball.

Almost any controller is supported when playing, meaning that having a controller for a friend to use shouldn't be an issue. The Gamepad also has a unique feature in that a fifth player can use it as a microphone and have their voice broadcast into the game as an announcer. For a friend who isn't as skilled but wants to watch, this is a unique and fun way for them to be included- though there is a small bit of lag on announcements.

The main gameplay is very customizeable, with options to have different playstyles, the addition of bombs and more balls, and four different teams to choose from with four unique birds each. Birds all have different stats in fields such as speed and strength, but none manage to feel overpowered in any way.

Sportsball is an enjoyable game with even one friend, but doesn't have any real form of a Single Player mode. Playing alone is essentially just training and gets boring relatively quickly. You could watch replays of your previous matches, but that's about all there is in for just one person to do, as there isn't even an online match making mode. While Sportsball is most fun with friends together, an online aspect would have made the game a worthwhile purchase for anyone who doesn't have a friend or three to play with.

TOO DX has shown with Sportsball that local multiplayer party games are just as fun as ever, despite the emptiness of the single player mode. Sportsball is definitely a party game, definitely worth a purchase by anyone interested- provided they have someone else to play with.

8/10

Review copy provided by TOO DX and IndieGamerChick through the #GamesMatter campaign.