VIDEOBALL is a sport everyone can play.We researched basketball, football, soccer, first-person shooters, and real-time strategy games. VIDEOBALL is a compact expression of all sports' mechanics.
The core gameplay involves using analog sticks or directional buttons to control triangle-shaped characters on the field. Players can then press buttons or triggers to project their own triangles, which can displace the ball(s) on the playing surface.
Players can charge their triangles to three distinct levels, with larger triangles having more pushing power. Strategically choosing when to use a level 1, 2, or 3 triangle, and timing your shots carefully, is crucial. Players must also learn to counter opponents' charged triangles by cancelling them out with their own.
Reviewers praise the sense of accomplishment that comes from mastering the game's mechanics. Executing pixel-perfect shots to score game-winning goals or pull off impressive plays feels immensely rewarding, evoking the satisfaction of classic competitive titles. The high-stakes, "agonizing" nature of close matches further heightens this sense of triumph.
Despite the simplicity of the core rules, the game's designers have crafted an experience full of emergent, unpredictable moments. The ability to cancel each other's charged triangles, the way shots interact with the ball's movement, and the general chaos of multiple players and balls on the screen, all lead to constantly surprising gameplay situations.
This title is clearly designed with local, couch co-op multiplayer as the primary focus. Reviewers emphasize that playing with up to 4 players in the same room, and the shared sense of intensity and excitement, is essential to fully appreciating the game's strengths. The experience of "screaming at each other" during heated matches is described as a major part of the appeal.