Odama

Nintendo Power

And despite being extraordinarily challenging in that way that makes die-hard games totally addicted but can drive off casual players, it is a game that every Nintendo fan must play. [May 2006, p.92]

GameBrink

Odama is a rare treat of a game as it’s unique, extremely playable, and a lot of fun. If you can get past the wacky difficulty that isn’t consistent from level to level and don’t mind a game being a short 5ish hours then you’re in for a treat.

Pelit (Finland)

Weird and funny at the same time. As a pinball it is nothing extraordinary and in a strategic sense it is quite simple. But when both the elements are combined, the result is much more than you would expect. [May 2006]

GamePro

Odama is imaginative and is proof that you don't need to be more annoying than Jessica Simpson, like Katamari, to be a successful whacky videogame.

Da Gameboyz

Such things as clunky control, the hit and miss graphics, the relatively short time to finish the game, and the need for a little more tweaking on the overall implementation of a great idea really hold Odama back.

Detroit Free Press

My biggest nit with Odama is that it is very difficult to win. But you can keep trying. And victory will sometime be yours. The other guys don't even have a giant ball on their side.

Game Informer

While any pinball game should have an element of randomness, there are times in Odama when an accidental ball bounce floods a river and sweeps your entire army away in one fell swoop. [Mar 2006, p.112]

Armchair Empire

In short, controlled bursts Odama is fun but in stretches no longer than half an hour. And for all the uniqueness and quirkiness of the title, it can’t offset the fact there’s more luck involved than actual skill.

GamerFeed

Odama takes the hard way and really makes you work to see every one of its twelve levels. This will fascinate many looking for something new from Nintendo's camp, but the whole thing seems a bit done in by a clunky, uninteractive control scheme and a cramped presentation.

DarkStation

This is not pinball as we know it, but once again Nintendo comes up with a quirky take on an old idea. Very novel, but perhaps too complex for newcomers.

Kombo

Initial frustration is a must for this game, as it is very complex for a pinball title. Reading the manual is a must, so all of you hardcore gamers (myself included) who tend to skip the manual, you better back up and read it. It helps a lot.

N-Insanity

There are a good number of entertaining moments, but the frustration can really hurt one's enjoyment. It's definitely for the hardcore gamer, and those that enjoy doing multiple things at once when playing a game.

netjak

Odama is the third-best console game that involves rolling a giant ball over people. This is not the faint praise that it would initially seem to be, but neither is it the best of recommendations.

Computer and Video Games

The mash-up idea's splendid and it offers real depth and innovation. In fact, once you get over the control hurdle, you'll find a very decent, challenging and rewarding game.

Cheat Code Central

I just can't get behind it as it suffers from too high a frustration factor which could have been easily tweaked. There are simply too many gameplay elements going on at once which results in an uneven experience.

GameSpot

It's definitely unique as far as strategy games go, but Odama's novel mechanics and oddly authentic samurai feel are kneecapped by punishing difficulty and oft frustrating controls.

IGN

Any aspirations the game may have held for greatness are obliterated by outdated graphics and sometimes-clunky execution, with drawbacks ranging from an unnecessary sluggish framerate to collision detection glitches, occasionally lacking microphone voice recognition and stupidly inputted cursor commands.

eToychest

One gets the feeling that the developers couldn't come to a decision as to which particular aspect should carry the most weight, be it pinball or strategy, and in the end Odama ends up feeling like a game without focus. The game can also be punishingly difficult

GameZone

If you want a game that has never been done before then you deserve to give Odama a try. Just be prepared to succumb to the unforgiving difficulty and quirky gameplay.

Nintendojo

The idea is solid, solid enough that it should be revisited in the future, even if the execution this time around is lacking.

WHAM! Gaming

I love playing games that sway from the norm and try something new, and for that reason alone I was excited for Odama and wanted to give it a great score. Unfortunately, it fails in its execution and becomes a lesson in frustration.

G4 TV

Odama's craziness is not for everyone. And even the people who like it won't find it to be more than a brief diversion.

Deeko

Odama is a colorful and intriguing concept in theory, but in practice is nothing short of being a rather poorly conceived pinball game that lacks the physics of a real pinball machine, coupled with some awkward moments in which you must move your troops via voice commands.

Yahoo! Games

You've never played anything like this, which may make it worth checking out for many gamers. Just be prepared for fits of frustration and an unnecessary microphone mechanic. Odama may win the battle of innovation, but it also loses the war for being considered a great game.

Games Radar

Strategy and pinball? Right. It's better than it sounds, but not that much better. The world is probably a more interesting place with this game in it, but that doesn't necessarily mean your life will improve if you play it.

1UP

Combining pinball, real-time strategy elements, and voice-recognition commands into a ball (pun unintended), Odama straddles the line between 'whack' and 'wacky.'

GameSpy

Odama is simply beyond strange. It's rock hard, annoying and yet intriguing all at the same time. It's also a pinball game, a strategy game and more over, a game that you'll either love or despise; or even a little of both.

Eurogamer

You'll probably feel that Odama doesn't quite work. But there's such love in it, so much needless, thankless extra toil and detail, like using the Ninten bell as an excuse to remind us of the etymology of a very familiar name, that at the very least a few more radars deserve to be tuned to Saito's movements in future.

NTSC-uk

The time limit is incredibly harsh on some levels and sometimes the computer seems to have an unlimited supply of men at its disposal. More problematic is the overly complex nature of the controls and the necessity to remember to use the microphone while keeping an eye on three different things at once.

Thunderbolt

It’s got a highly polished presentation, a feat that few games on the Gamecube can muster. Sadly, this game has one a single flaw that ultimately denies it from greatness: the damned microphone.

Games Master UK

You're really going to have to make an effort to get much fun out of Odama. [June 2006, p.76]

NintendoWorldReport

The end result is a game as refreshing as it is frustrating. It deserves credit for its originality, but not for its controls and visuals.

Computer Games Magazine

Odama may not be much of a pinball game, but it's certainly a choice metaphor. [July 2006, p.86]

Game Revolution

Most games are fun for ten hours, after which you never play them again. Odama is fun for an hour, then you swear you’ll never play it again only to go back an hour later for more. It’s more like a Rubik's Cube than a video game, a weird enigma you can always pick up, just not for long.

Electronic Gaming Monthly

You do get a sense of accomplishment when luck favors you and you can clear a board or topple a boss, but rarely does the fun reach full tilt. [Jun 2006, p.119]

GameShark

Sadly, off-the-wall and new does not always mean a good gaming experience. Trying to juggle all the diverse elements of Odama with shoddy speech recognition ultimately makes for a game that is not likely to see much time spinning in the Cube.

NGC Magazine UK

Cross-breeding between a pinball table and strategy game hasn't lead to a thoroughbred. This one is pure ass. [May 2006, p.28]

Gamezilla!

Odama is a sheep in wolf’s clothing. If it were truly weird, and perhaps a bit simpler, it could’ve been really fun. As it is, I feel like I’m playing the umpteenth reskin of an old pinball game that I picked up in the bargain bin.

The Onion (A.V. Club)

Cheers to any game developers who can come up with new, clever combinations—and this one sounded great on paper—but Odama is rarely enough fun to justify the commitment.

Digital Entertainment News

If you want Japanese oddities on the GameCube, stick to Pikmin and Super Monkey Ball. This game is just a frustrating mess.

Edge Magazine

It’s telling that the more dejected and hoarse your voice becomes, the easier it seems for the forces to understand their orders. Whoever programmed Odama’s English speech recognition clearly wasn’t having much fun either. [May 2006, p.90]

games(TM)

We can only come to one conclusion here: Odama really isn’t any fun to play. At all. [May 2006, p.122]