Speedball 2100
Empire Interactive : Playstation
Out Now
Requires 1 memory block for a saved game.

For those who never played Speedball or Speedball 2 on the Amiga it is kind of like a game of Gaelic Football in a futuristic metal arena with the addition of being to pick up items that alter the gameplay for a few moments (6 seconds). The game is set way into the future where violence is not allowed except for inside the Speedball arena. The game was very popular on the Amiga as it was original, fast paced and a great deal of fun.

Speedball 2100 is a version for the Playstation. In case you're wondering what's different from the first two Amiga games then the answer is not a lot really. It does play like the original game except for a couple of exceptions. The graphics are slightly worse than the Amiga. Although the colours and textures of the arena are much improved it seems slightly fuzzy and the graphics lack the crispness that the earlier games had. The pace of the game also seems slower than the earlier games and it does feel a little bit disappointing to have waited for the re-emergence of a true classic only to find that its not been taken any further forward.

The gameplay options are the same as before. You can either play in a knockout competition or attempt to take Brutal Deluxe to the 1st division in a ongoing league mode. There is also an option to just manage the team but to be honest Speedball was never meant to be a management game so this is a strange option to include. Your players can receive various upgrades with the money that you make from your matches and it is important to keep improving them as if you win promotion then you will be up against it if you haven't been improving your men.

Deaf gamers need not worry about Speedball as it only has text feedback and doesn't rely on vocal output at all except for a few crowd comments. At the end of it all though it is just Speedball 2 for the Playstation. If you loved Speedball (and let's face it there wasn't much wrong with it) on the Amiga and you no longer have the machine then this game will be perfect for you. However, if you are expecting more then you will be disappointed somewhat.

Overall Game Rating: 7.5/10 Speedball fans will love it but it should have been better.

Quality of text: 7/10 Good but there really isn't that much that is needed.

Graphics: 7/10 Good but some graphics such as the players lack definition.

Interface: 7/10 Good but a little awkward at times. You have too many button presses.

Gameplay:9/10 A little slow but otherwise identical to the original games.