Super Dodge Ball

Super Dodge Ball is one of the most entertaining and unusual sports games on the Nintendo Entertainment System. Released in North America in 1989 by Technōs Japan, the game takes the basic idea of dodgeball and turns it into something much more aggressive, strategic, and exaggerated. Instead of simply throwing a ball at another player and watching them leave the court, Super Dodge Ball gives every character individual statistics, powerful special throws, health levels, different team strengths, and a surprisingly deep tactical system. It is essentially a competitive sports game designed with the same wild personality that made Technōs' Kunio-kun games so memorable.

The Japanese version is part of the Kunio-kun series and was released as Nekketsu Kōkō Dodgeball Bu. The North American localization removed the obvious Kunio-kun branding and transformed the characters into an international dodgeball team competing against opponents from around the world. This gives the NES version a slightly different identity while preserving the exaggerated characters and humorous style associated with Technōs.

The basic objective sounds extremely simple. Two teams compete in a dodgeball match, with each team having six players. Three players occupy the main court while the other three stand around the outside of the opposing team's area. The goal is to eliminate the opposing team's active players by hitting them with the ball. However, Super Dodge Ball immediately puts its own spin on those familiar rules. A player does not disappear after being hit once. Every active character has an energy or health value, meaning that several successful attacks may be necessary before an opponent is finally defeated.