Super Dodge Ball

Super Dodge Ball was never released for the Apple II computer. This popular dodgeball game came out in 1987 for the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) arcade machines. The game was developed by Technos Japan and published by CSG Imagesoft in North America.

Players control teams of six dodgeball players competing against other teams from around the world. The goal is simple: knock out all opposing players by hitting them with the ball. Each player has a health bar that decreases when hit. Once the health bar empties, that player is eliminated from the match.

The game features both single-player and two-player modes. In single-player mode, you travel through different countries like England, Iceland, China, and Japan before facing the final champion team. Each country's team has unique strengths and special throwing techniques. The two-player mode lets friends compete against each other in head-to-head matches.

Controls are straightforward. Players move their team members around the court, catch incoming balls, and throw them at opponents. Special power shots can be performed by running before throwing or jumping in the air. These power shots deal more damage and are harder to catch. The game also includes super shots that are nearly impossible to dodge.

The playing field is divided into two sides with a center line. Three players from each team stay on their own side while three others stand behind the opposing team. This creates interesting strategies where players must watch for attacks from both front and back.

Super Dodge Ball became popular because it turned a simple playground game into an exciting video game experience. The colorful graphics show players from different countries wearing their traditional uniforms. Each court has backgrounds representing famous landmarks from that country. The music changes for each location, adding variety to matches.

The game's difficulty increases as players advance through the tournament. Early teams are slow and predictable, but later opponents throw faster balls and use more special moves. The final team is extremely challenging and requires perfect timing to defeat.

While Super Dodge Ball was successful on the NES and in arcades, it never appeared on Apple II computers. The Apple II had many sports games during the 1980s, but this particular title remained exclusive to other systems. The game did receive ports to systems like the Neo Geo and Sharp X68000 in Japan, but Apple II owners had to look elsewhere for their sports gaming needs.