Speedball

The Good
Speedball is unashamedly violent and straightforward. Either hold the ball, pass, and run for the goal, or beat the opposition possessor senseless. The speed and fluidity of the game are remarkable, as are the increasingly sophisticated tactics made possible by higher difficulty levels. The ability to upgrade and improve your team, as well as the large tournament and pool-play options give considerable single player replay value. Speedball comes into its own on multiplay, however: two "friends", bashing away at the same keyboard, screaming for the ball, and howling as another goal slips by, makes for a great afternoon's entertainment.

The Bad
In the early matches there are several extremely simple tactics that will win every game. This quickly fades, however, until by halfway through the tournament option the computer teams will be comprehensively owning you. This see-sawing difficulty level makes life fairly tough, with a vicious jump in the learning curve.

The PC version really isn't a match for the Amiga, this game being from the period when PCs were the lonely cousins of the 16 bit gameplaying machines. The sound and graphics are extremely good for 1988, but EGA and speaker beeps can't quite match its rivals...

The Bottom Line
Anyone interested in the history of computer games, the elements of good mutiplayer gaming, or the Bitmap Brothers themselves should check out Speedball. Its simple, adrenalised fun that recalls the most fundamental of arcade game principles: keep them mashing the buttons and coming back for more.

The Good
An interesting thing about Speedball: while its sequel is considered as one of the best games on the Amiga (and a classic on the PC as well), Speedball is considered one of the worst. I've seen evidence of this on numerous Amiga-oriented sites and publications, among them a page that I think was titled "the 10 worst games on the Amiga".

I disagree with this ruling completely, owing to the fact that the original Speedball was the source of countless hours of sheer enjoyment and fun. While obviously inferiour to its sequel, Speedball is still a surprisingly original and fun game, with a decent premise, good graphics and sound and reasonably smooth gameplay on a slow machine. Besides, you just gotta love the concept.

The Bad
Admittedly the gameplay isn't as smooth as I'd wish (and becomes fairly jittery when the action becomes intense), the playfield isn't even remotely as well layed out as it could be (more precisely, as it was in Speedball II) and the I find the default EGA palette revolting.

The Bottom Line
A terrific game, shadowed by a magnificent, perfect sequel. Still makes a fun waste of a few hours.

The Good
The action is fast and smooth -- great gameplay. Graphics are not spectacular but perfectly adequate for the game's needs.

The Bad
It is a little too simple, especially with a limited number of different angles for your shots. In addition, the difficulty ramps up very quickly -- it can be dull and easy or frustratingly difficult.

When I had red and green uniforms on the two teams, a colour-blind friend was unable to tell them apart.

The Bottom Line
Futuristic hockey with slightly more violence.