Speedball 2 HD comes back to life...!!!

[Skybird]

Getting released in two weeks! Steam.

In 1990, one of the best (and most brutal ) sports game ever was released for Atari ST, and then for Amiga, with improved graphics. And now its coming back. With the same arena-features layout - which is good. And 8-directional movement like in the good old days - which is good. And the same pace and style of gameplay - which is good. And the famous "Ice Cream!" announcements - which would be un forgivable to have been left out!



I was at university bck then. And me and a buddy and his girl friend - we have beaten the sh.. out of each other in bitter duels and hot battles for the ball (an iron orb, btw.)

Compare the above video to the original by the Bitmap Brothers, Amiga version:

[Cybermat47]

I might keep a look out for this one. Old games are cool

[Skybird]

And no old game is as cool as this one! the worst thing they could have tried was to "modernize" it. It was tried with at least two Speedball-projects in the past years, and they both failed.

It probably is too hectic for me these days, but I will support this release nevertheless, in honour of some of the best night battles in my life.

Back in those old days, I even wrote a sarcastic and quite blood-thirsty short story about it... and no, it was neither nice nor had a happy end. In today's submissive and politically correct climate, I would probably get send straight to the mental asylum if releasing it today...

[Herr-Berbunch]

I used to love the original on Amiga, many hours sat on the end of my mate's bed playing this on a 14" colour telly.

Not my thing now though.

[Mud]

Played with my buddy back in the 90's ( we old farts still game together ) I always lost the match.
I hate this game and probably gonna buy it

[Skybird]

Possible that it is free. Steam lists no price so far. Unlock is Decembre 5th.

[Skybird]

Okay, I got it as soon as it was unlocked, probably within the first 5 minutes. With a current price bonus of -20%, I payed 6.39 Euros.

First impressions after three exhibition matches: lovely. It feels and plays exactly the same as the original, and I was laughing myself almost to death while playing (Speedball always had this effect on me). Graphics are full HD. The handling with an xbox controller was superb. Alternatively, the WASD- and alternatively the arrow- keys can be used to control your player as well, that way two people can play each other via one machine (no online MP there is, I believe), two can even play via one keyboard only, without a controller. Several different play modes, 4 planetary leagues with 28 teams, 6 arenas (looks are different but play and functionality are the same), and a player market of 336 players (that are kept care of via the same manager screens you know from the original).

For that price - I beg you! How can you say No to it for this little money?

The one thing I did niot like is that judging by the locked screens in exhibition mode, arenas and teams need to be unlocked by progressing somewhere else in the gameplay. I never liked stuff needed to be unlocked. But that is a minor rthing, and maybe cna be worked around via ini-editing, I do not know.

The important message by the end of the day is: it plays exactly like the original and is as mean and underhanded as ever! I won the first match because I trailed behind in goal points, so i started to beat up opponent players until the robomedics needed to grab them by their feet and pull them off the grid. In Speedball, if you do not know it, mauling a player until he needs to be removed from the match this way gives you as much points like scoring a goal.

First impression verdict: looks good at first glance!

(And yes, it is old-fashioned 2D sprite animations for sure )

[Skybird]

http://www.thepixelempire.net/pixel-...ball-2-hd.html

I take from this interview with the developer that they plan to add online multiplayer (maybe with up to 8 players per team) in a future update.

[Skybird]

A decent full match of 2 x 90 seconds, giving an impression of how it plays now.



As I already said, for the money asked it is okay what you get delivered. I think.

I read that the game takes plenty of Flak currently, and already had a difficult start with the first downloadable version crashing (I missed that for some reason, although I must have been one of the first customers hitting the transaction button). They immediately replaced that version, within minutes.

People complain about the game not adding new stuff, and just replicating the old gameplay, even the 2D sprites. Well, they have not read in the interview above what the makers wanted to achieve: and that indeed was not more than reviving the old gameplay. And I think that is what they did.

Visually, I find it okay, I liked the old Amiga version better, but I cannot help it. The new rumble pit has the two "electrocuters" moved more to the front, the 45° reflection does not automatically reflect the charged "ball" directly into the goal, and I think that is a good idea. You can still achieve that effect by using spin on the ball, which is the second thing the changed, there is more spin effect possible in the curved balls.

Visually, the frame rate seems to be locked at around 30 fps. But for the action going on, while there could be more, it nevertheless is okay and playable. The graphical style is not my taste that much, as I said, the old Amiga version looked better. But functionally, it is fine. I have not seen the other arenas, since they must be unlocked by progressing through the various leagues.

Soundwise, they use a lot of the old Amiga samples. That people yell and shout names over the Amiga soundtrack from the title screen not included, is beyond me. A lot of hysteric, hyper-aggressive flaming is going on. While I could imagine the game to have been improved in game modes and management options, this hate war it has not deserved. But such wars seems to have become a norm with new game releases nowadays. Very bad behavior in too man people, shouting and yelling. Its sick, infantile, and a verbal piss-weather.

Also a lot of complaints by veterans that the game polays to easy. Well, it plays much like in second league on Amiga. The Amiga had two, and when you made it into first league, the gameplay was much tougher and faster and merciless. And here you have not one league above your starting league, but three more leagues! If they all feature growing challenge levels, than may have God mercy with the players making it beyond the lower two ones... This ois what people seem to have not considered when complaining about "easy difficulty". BTW, I find it not that easy at all anymore, although I was my semester's Speedball champion back then (I really was mad and crazy for it and really lost all inhibitions when playing it, I turned totally insane). My reflexes seem to have worn out a bit...

I had tried the DOS box version many years ago, and found it working erratically only, also, you only could play back then via keyboard, which is no fun at all, since modern equipment was not recognised. I also had the CD version that was released some years ago, a remake of the Amiga version for PC. It ran on my system, and looked like Amiga, it was WinXP however, and I could not install it now ion W7. Alsl, the graphics, while identical to Amiga, were blurry due to the low resolution zoomed to screen size, and the digital stick I bought for it sometimes worked, sometimes not. The big value of this new verison is that i gives oyu maybe not the original looks, but the original gameplay - with great comfort in setting up the program. Yes, the options are sparse, however, the game plays great with my XBOx style controller, both with stick or cursor keys. All other alternatives mean a hassle more or less in trying to get the old code running on modern systems. This is the greatest argument that speaks for the game as it is released in this version. And for 6 euros 39 cents, you really cannot complain and think they own all the world to you.

It could have been better, yes. But it delivers the original gameplay, and gives you the freedom of controller choice.

Do not listen to the flamers. The game is better than they say! I have played several matches over the day now, and all the time hysterically giggled and had great fun - it will be even more fun when getting visited by an old friend next weekend. Him and me killed nights with the Amiga version already 20 years ago. Some alcohol, some angry curses and foul jokes, some sarcasm and shameless mockery - and I am certain we can ruin the peaceful stillness of the night in no time!

[d@rk51d3]

Some great memories there.

Took me a while to get the hang of it back then, but once you "got it", it was an awesome game.

[PhantomLord]

Oh i want it! Always loved it on Amiga...

Brutal Deluxe.... im coming!