Speedball-one-two-three

Skybird · 08-24-08, 09:20 AM

I had missed completely that in last Decembre a late follow-up to one of the best computer games ever, Speedball 2, had been published.

I meanwhile learned that it includes STEAM and Valve, so it is a no-go for me.

However, there are videos showing the flow of the game, and by that I must say it looks and seems to be AWFUL.

How could they dare to ruin a game with such a majestic legacy like SB2 for Amiga in this way?

For comparison, here is what the very first version, Speedball 1, published in 1988, looked like on Amiga (I miss the Amiga so mu-hu-huch). The dude doing the vid was a bit sleepy and thus in the option screen you may want to use the slider a bit to move forward until the game starts.

Very good in its time, but not really the breathtaker that it all was to turn into.

Just two years later, in 1990, came the one game that showed what Speedball is really about, and I remind you that the video shows one of the extreme slow speed games, the longer the league(s) lasted, the tougher and more brutal the players became and the faster action was going, later speed settings were 100-150% above what you see in here:

Now we talk ballgame! One of the best game-concepts ever, and in one-on-one a total killer. I don't know how often me and a close friend (and his girl-friend!) beat each other up all night long, yelling, shouting, cursing and mocking. There were quite some players at university, with whom I met for duels regularly. Maybe i played no other game as excessively as this one, it was almost an obession for some time. and i take some diabolic pride in saying that I never met a better player than myself, so forgive the mean grin on my face.

I think the brilliance of this game was it'S simplicity, and lack of rules. It was straight, had a good control for the standards of its time, the player grew in skills with training, and there were no distractions.

And in Decembre last year, now this:

It does not even have a solid management function anymore. Plus STEAM. Sorry, but is it me only feeling like being rolled over by a bus and being left in the mud?

SUBMAN1 · 08-24-08, 10:31 AM

I played the first speedball quite a bit, and I have to say the new version is the next logical conclusion for it. I see nothing wrong with it. Looks like UT and Speedball have become one.

-S

SUBMAN1 · 08-24-08, 10:38 AM

I'm still not getting what you are complaining about. Looks almost the exact same game with new graphics. Maybe it is change that you don't like.

http://www.speedball2.com/

Look at that site. You can see that you can make it look exactly like the old one with blue court, etc. Just 3D vs 2D now days. There is a single player demo on the site - check it out.

-S

Dowly · 08-24-08, 10:44 AM

Never played the SB1 but was pretty much hooked to the SB2 when I had Amiga. Excellent game! And as for Amiga, still my favorite gaming machine. They just dont make the games like they used to for Amiga.

Anyone remember 'Escape from Colditz'? Fracking loved it! Sucked in it, but fracking loved it.

Oh and then there's Cannon Fodder, which I played the first time on Amiga, love the intro.

UnderseaLcpl · 08-24-08, 10:46 AM

I missed this one entirely. My loss!

It's like super rugby-pong! 1337!

SUBMAN1 · 08-24-08, 10:49 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by UnderseaLcpl

I missed this one entirely. My loss!

It's like super rugby-pong! 1337!

Except unlike rugby, its a good idea to try and kill opposing team members. Makes your job easier.

-S

SUBMAN1 · 08-24-08, 10:54 AM

Hmm... Maybe this game is trash:

A users comments:

Quote:

The original PC version of this game by the Bitmap Brothers, about 15 yrs ago, was class.

This version, despite the advance in technology, is actually WORSE. I was suprised to see it rated as 60 out of 100 bt Steam users, until i downloaded it and played it.

I'd give it less than that. They've ruined a classic game. The ball is harder to see, the stars on the side of the wall all dull, the camera view of the playing area is poor.

Skybird · 08-24-08, 11:02 AM

Meanwhile I checked their forum, their German forum a bit, and it seems that both publisher and the game are dead as dead mice. It seems the marketing was sub-optimal, and they failed to establish the game amongst players.

For sentimental reasons i have reinstalled the PC version of SB2-1990 (needs some tricks), and had some matches honouring the glorious past. One feels different about it today, of course, but it still is fun - given you have an old 8-direction arcade-joystick, like I have.

And now back to the present.

UnderseaLcpl · 08-24-08, 11:32 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Skybird

Meanwhile I checked their forum, their German forum a bit, and it seems that both publisher and the game are dead as dead mice. It seems the marketing was sub-optimal, and they failed to establish the game amongst players.

For sentimental reasons i have reinstalled the PC version of SB2-1990 (needs some tricks), and had some matches honouring the glorious past. One feels different about it today, of course, but it still is fun - given you have an old 8-direction arcade-joystick, like I have.

And now back to the present.

Still tragic. It's like X-COM. From superlative to worthless in half a decade.

SUBMAN1 · 08-24-08, 11:33 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by UnderseaLcpl

Still tragic. It's like X-COM. From superlative to worthless in half a decade.

I really liked only the first original X-Com. I have them all, hoping that one would get better. Nope!

-S

UnderseaLcpl · 08-24-08, 11:37 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SUBMAN1

Quote:

Originally Posted by UnderseaLcpl

Still tragic. It's like X-COM. From superlative to worthless in half a decade.

I really liked only the first original X-Com. I have them all, hoping that one would get better. Nope!

-S

I didn't think X-Com: Apocalypse was too bad. Buggy, but I liked it. Still, its' vast potential was squandered. What did you think of it?

SUBMAN1 · 08-24-08, 11:39 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by UnderseaLcpl

Quote:

Originally Posted by SUBMAN1

Quote:

Originally Posted by UnderseaLcpl

Still tragic. It's like X-COM. From superlative to worthless in half a decade.

I really liked only the first original X-Com. I have them all, hoping that one would get better. Nope!

-S

I didn't think X-Com: Apocalypse was too bad. Buggy, but I liked it. Still, its' vast potential was squandered. What did you think of it?

I played it for five minutes and didn't get the dreaded alien invasion was happening feeling like I got with the original. I bought that one at a used bookstore actually. I'll still probably play through the original one more time at some point though - that is how good it is.

Laser weapons and basic armor are the first things you need!

-S

Platapus · 08-24-08, 11:57 AM

I loved playing X-com. Even liked the underwater one but not as much as the first. I wish the would reissue the original X-com to run on the newer systems (I could never get the sound to work on my new system)

X-com was a classic.

SUBMAN1 · 08-24-08, 12:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Platapus

I loved playing X-com. Even liked the underwater one but not as much as the first. I wish the would reissue the original X-com to run on the newer systems (I could never get the sound to work on my new system)

X-com was a classic.

I did. I played it on XP. I think I even had it working on this system I am currently using.

Worst comes to worst, you can have more than one sound card in your system if you want. Go buy an older SB Live or something for $2 from your local PC recycler, and add it in there next to the one you have. Then you can select in Windows Control Panel which sound card has priority.

-S

Platapus · 08-24-08, 12:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SUBMAN1

Worst comes to worst, you can have more than one sound card in your system if you want. Go buy an older SB Live or something for $2 from your local PC recycler, and add it in there next to the one you have. Then you can select in Windows Control Panel which sound card has priority.

-S

I did not know you could to that. Thanks for the info!

There have been times where I just wanted to play that old classic. I will give that a try (I probably have an old sound card as I never throw any computer component away)

08-24-08, 09:20 AM	#1
Skybird Soaring Join Date: Sep 2001 Location: the mental asylum named Germany Posts: 42,662 Downloads: 10 Uploads: 0	Speedball-one-two-three I had missed completely that in last Decembre a late follow-up to one of the best computer games ever, Speedball 2, had been published. I meanwhile learned that it includes STEAM and Valve, so it is a no-go for me. However, there are videos showing the flow of the game, and by that I must say it looks and seems to be AWFUL. How could they dare to ruin a game with such a majestic legacy like SB2 for Amiga in this way? For comparison, here is what the very first version, Speedball 1, published in 1988, looked like on Amiga (I miss the Amiga so mu-hu-huch). The dude doing the vid was a bit sleepy and thus in the option screen you may want to use the slider a bit to move forward until the game starts. Very good in its time, but not really the breathtaker that it all was to turn into. Just two years later, in 1990, came the one game that showed what Speedball is really about, and I remind you that the video shows one of the extreme slow speed games, the longer the league(s) lasted, the tougher and more brutal the players became and the faster action was going, later speed settings were 100-150% above what you see in here: Now we talk ballgame! One of the best game-concepts ever, and in one-on-one a total killer. I don't know how often me and a close friend (and his girl-friend!) beat each other up all night long, yelling, shouting, cursing and mocking. There were quite some players at university, with whom I met for duels regularly. Maybe i played no other game as excessively as this one, it was almost an obession for some time. and i take some diabolic pride in saying that I never met a better player than myself, so forgive the mean grin on my face. I think the brilliance of this game was it'S simplicity, and lack of rules. It was straight, had a good control for the standards of its time, the player grew in skills with training, and there were no distractions. And in Decembre last year, now this: It does not even have a solid management function anymore. Plus STEAM. Sorry, but is it me only feeling like being rolled over by a bus and being left in the mud? __________________ If you feel nuts, consult an expert.

08-24-08, 10:31 AM	#2
SUBMAN1 Rear Admiral Join Date: Apr 2005 Posts: 11,866 Downloads: 0 Uploads: 0	I played the first speedball quite a bit, and I have to say the new version is the next logical conclusion for it. I see nothing wrong with it. Looks like UT and Speedball have become one. -S __________________

08-24-08, 10:38 AM	#3
SUBMAN1 Rear Admiral Join Date: Apr 2005 Posts: 11,866 Downloads: 0 Uploads: 0	I'm still not getting what you are complaining about. Looks almost the exact same game with new graphics. Maybe it is change that you don't like. http://www.speedball2.com/ Look at that site. You can see that you can make it look exactly like the old one with blue court, etc. Just 3D vs 2D now days. There is a single player demo on the site - check it out. -S __________________

08-24-08, 10:46 AM	#5
UnderseaLcpl Silent Hunter Join Date: May 2008 Location: Storming the beaches! Posts: 4,254 Downloads: 0 Uploads: 0	I missed this one entirely. My loss! It's like super rugby-pong! 1337! __________________ I stole this sig from Task Force

08-24-08, 11:02 AM	#8
Skybird Soaring Join Date: Sep 2001 Location: the mental asylum named Germany Posts: 42,662 Downloads: 10 Uploads: 0	Meanwhile I checked their forum, their German forum a bit, and it seems that both publisher and the game are dead as dead mice. It seems the marketing was sub-optimal, and they failed to establish the game amongst players. For sentimental reasons i have reinstalled the PC version of SB2-1990 (needs some tricks), and had some matches honouring the glorious past. One feels different about it today, of course, but it still is fun - given you have an old 8-direction arcade-joystick, like I have. And now back to the present. __________________ If you feel nuts, consult an expert.

08-24-08, 10:44 AM	#4
Dowly Lucky Jack Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Finland Posts: 25,054 Downloads: 32 Uploads: 0	Never played the SB1 but was pretty much hooked to the SB2 when I had Amiga. Excellent game! And as for Amiga, still my favorite gaming machine. They just dont make the games like they used to for Amiga. Anyone remember 'Escape from Colditz'? Fracking loved it! Sucked in it, but fracking loved it. Oh and then there's Cannon Fodder, which I played the first time on Amiga, love the intro.

08-24-08, 11:57 AM	#13
Platapus Fleet Admiral Join Date: Oct 2006 Posts: 19,379 Downloads: 63 Uploads: 0	I loved playing X-com. Even liked the underwater one but not as much as the first. I wish the would reissue the original X-com to run on the newer systems (I could never get the sound to work on my new system) X-com was a classic. __________________ abusus non tollit usum - A right should NOT be withheld from people on the basis that some tend to abuse that right.