Speedball 2 - GBA

Thank heavens that someone, somewhere had the good sense to think of bringing Speedball to the GBA. A match made in heaven, we say, as the legendary Amiga/Sega Megadrive game comes to the best little handheld around.

For those not familiar with the concept of the Bitmap Brothers' finest (well, that's what we think) achievement, let's go into gory detail. Speedball is a future sport that owes a big debt to the 1970's James Caan-starrer Rollerball, or any other sports movies where the spirit of the game is soured/replaced by violence and revenge. Teams of over-aggressive, heavily-armoured men in metal go to war in a rectangular arena with a steel ball and a whole lotta hatred to fire them up. The aim of the game is to get the aforementioned ball in the opposition's goal as many times as possible. That, however, is simply not enough. Your team, a bunch of losers called Brutal Deluxe, is encouraged to cause as much damage to the opposing team as they can. Your opponents are as well protected as you are, but if you really sock it to them, you can score extra points a go-go. There are also certain parts of the arena where panels can be struck to score points, and bonus armour can be collected to improve your team's strength and stamina.

At the end of the day, you are charged with improving the fortunes of Brutal Deluxe and propelling them to the top of the leagues. It's not an easy task because, despite of the simple control system, Speedball just doesn't let up: just when you think you're in the box seat, so to speak, the game will kick you in the teeth. And you love it! Longevity is the key word here, and with a selection of game modes such as Knock-out, Championship, Cup and Quick Play available, there's plenty to get involved in. Quick Play is ideal for getting used to the gameplay. Use this to avoid making yourself look like a fool in the other modes. Cup is an eliminator tournament played out over four rounds, Championship is where you try to help Brutal Deluxe out of the basement of the second division and to the top of the first, and Knock-Out is a series of matches against the computer, in which you train your team by facing stronger opposition. Beat this opposition, and the vanquished teams will become available in Quick Play mode.

The mere mention of Speedball can get gamers of a certain age all misty-eyed and reverential. Thanks to this genius adaptation by Crawfish Interactive, you'll see why when you play Speedball 2 on Game Boy Advance. more