Speedball 2

Title           Speedball 2
Game Type       Sport
Players         1-2
Submission      mparsons@mcb.net

Review
Speedball 2 is possibly one of the best multiplayer games *ever*.
There, that'll do - go and buy it ;)

Details? OK - in single player mode, you control a team of hardcases
called "Brutal Deluxe", and aim to win the SB2 leagues through
judicious use of underhand sneaky tactics, fights, physical
enhancements, goals and bonus points!

In two player mode, the objective is to beat your opponent,
preferably into a pulp, and ideally using exactly the same method as
above ;)

The game starts (either mode) with your team of hopefuls waiting for
you to kit them up. Choose to enhance their speed, strength,
aggression, intelligence, or many more, until your bank balance dries
up. Don't worry - you can collect more later.

You are then taken into the arena. Not a pitch - this is a completely
enclosed metal room with goals at either end, and all manner of
bonus-point doodahs.

Using your joystick, you run around like a nutter barging, punching
and sliding opponents out of the way, whilst they do exactly the same
back to you, in order to win possession of the ball (appears to be a
large ball bearing!), and score goals.

Each individual player on each team has an energy level, and this is
depleted with each collision - once it is all gone, that player is
robo-stretchered off the pitch, and a substitution is brought on.

Points can be scored from this, or hitting bonus multipliers, or
scoring goals. The team with the most points at full time wins!
Simple!

Along the way, many different icons appear on the pitch - from
physical enhancements, to opposition-handicappers (make them all fall
over, or freeze them, and more...), and extra money.

Once the match is over, you are returned to the upgrade screen where
you can enhance your team even more, and re-embark on your quest to be
the best!!

Probably the only downside that I can think of is you control the
goalkeeper, which means that he often dives away from the ball when
you didn't really mean to move him at all!! It all adds to the frantic
nature of it, though ;)

VERDICT:

*Big* thumbs up, even from several of my PC/Console owning mates -
many a night has been spent playing through custom SB" leagues ;)

Alphabetical list.