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Speedball 2 - Tournament

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6.7 User Score:

Mixed or average reviews

Based on 18 critic reviews
How did we calculate this?

Based on 17 votes
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Game Info

Publisher: Frogster Interactive Pictures / Valve

Developer: Kylotonn Entertainment

Genre(s): Sports

Players: 4

ESRB Rating: RP (Rating Pending)

Release Date: November 27, 2007

Summary

In 2326, rival gangs form an ultra-violent streetsports league Speedball to settle their deadly disputes. Two teams face each other in bloody battles for a steel ball: Nine on nine – in an all-out rush on the opponents’ goal. Almost any malicious move is permitted. The winner of the matches secures supremacy over the city. The highly anticipated PC revival to the legendary Amiga classic transforms the futuristic game setting with state-of-the-art technology into a high-speed online sports spectacle. Offering international leagues, a worldwide ranking system and an intuitive matchmaking function, Speedball 2 - Tournament pulls all registers of modern multiplayer gaming action. Fully customisable male, female and cyborg characters, dynamic sports battles, and a unique online community platform with online player and clan profiles will thrill sports simulation enthusiasts, action fans, and e-sports experts likewise. [Valve]

Also On The Web: Official Website

What The Critics Said

All critic scores are converted to a 100-point scale. If a critic does not indicate a score, we assign a score based on the general impression given by the text of the review. Learn more...

Pelit (Finland)

Speedball 2 Tournament is an exact copy of the original Brutal Deluxe. Nothing added, nothing removed. Everything seems to be in order as playability and controls are good and the new graphics are rest for the eye. However, some of the spirit of the original has been lost in the project. The game isn't even near the fun of its predecessor. Maybe it's the lacking AI. Fortunately multiplayer is almost as fun as ever. [Apr 2008]

Games Master UK

A faintly nostalgic, merely good game, but hardly a classic return. [Feb 2008, p.82]

Eurogamer

The beloved and well-balanced gameplay has been approached with care and reverence, but changes and tweaks have been made to keep everything in line with modern expectations.

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AceGamez

A few little hiccups along the way could easily be resolved in a patch or two, and even though the game is published via Steam, Speedball 2: Tournament an essential purchase for those who fancy a trip down memory lane, while those who have never experienced the delights of the original would do well to pick up a copy and give it a try.

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Jolt Online Gaming UK

Of course, we wouldn’t change the core gameplay for the world, and we’re glad it hasn’t been messed with here, but more options for tweaking and a few more game-modes wouldn’t have gone amiss.

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Play (Poland)

Smash hit of the 80s returns in style - and sadly suffers from the budget constrains that gave it the look and feel of a rushed release. Sound glitches, occasional crashes and awkward interface detract from the fun of the ruthless fight. [June 2008]

Gamer 2.0

On the whole, Speedball 2: Tournament is a solid game. It may have a few visual and aural quirks that may annoy some, but it makes up for it by doing what the original did all those years ago.

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PC Zone UK

An interesting, glitchy reprise. Our most solemn, sincere advice would be to wait for February's boxed version, when everything could - hopefully - be more stable and friendly. [Feb 2008, p.76]

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Boomtown

What's up with having an analogue controller that can only aim in the old style 8 directions? What's up with the huge loading times and rubbish user interface design? All these failings could be solved in patches in the future but they really shouldn't need to be.

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GamingExcellence

So, the game does deliver its promise – upgrading a classic sports game while keeping the original gameplay intact – but it does it in such a way that introduces new problems and irritations.

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GamerNode

A decent attempt of a remake, but the gameplay -- along with technical issues and performance problems -- prevent this game from being a worthwhile title.

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PC PowerPlay

Speedball 2 Tournament is not the second coming of Brutal Deluxe. It is an evolution that will provide entertainment for people who are yearning for simple, accessible arcade fun. [Apr 2008, p.67]

PC Format

Could this ever have been anything but an utter disappointment? This misses the mark so much... it hurts. [Feb 2008, p.112]

Worth Playing

There are plenty of other games out right now that, while perhaps not being gloriously violent future-sports games, have simply pegged the feeling of constant fun a lot better than you do.

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PC Gamer UK

Lumbering sports behemoth. [Feb 2008, p.72]

Edge Magazine

Where there was charm and artistry in the old designs, choosing to detail those basic representations rather than reimagining them makes the look of the new game too generic by far. [Feb 2008, p.95]

Gamers' Temple

I suppose that if you have strong nostalgic feel for Speedball then the game may hold a certain appeal to you, but be forewarned that Speedball 2 - Tournament may tarnish some of your cherished memories of the game.

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Thunderbolt

No wonder it was so hard to get into this clubhouse, it appears the foundations are fatefully unstable.

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What Our Users Said

The average user rating for this game is 6.7 (out of 10) based on 17 User Votes

Note: User votes are NOT included in the Metascore calculation.

Scott H gave it a1:
This game is an appalling insult to the original. After buying this through Steam, I ended up digging out the original and playing it instead. The new version is clunky, has poor views, plays terribly and has a menu system that couldn't have been worse if they had tried. All they had to do was remake the original, touch nothing and make it pretty. However they chose to add dodge and charge functions and they really messed up the gameplay. How this pile of rankness got released in this state is a mystery to me. Avoid like the plague, this is painful to play. I'm still playing the original by the way.

James M gave it a7:
This game is pretty, but has occasional stutter, and is a resource hog (1gb RAM, 512MB Vid card, and still running low on virtual memory... might be a memory leak). Was a little disappointed that there was no manager game style, like there was in the PS2 version some years ago, as this would have been very easy to implement. Also, I disapprove of Powerups/Coins disappearing when a goal is scored. A very lackluster effort. The Bitmap Brothers must be rolling over in the graves (and they aren't even dead yet). Hope patches come out soon to fix these issues.

Davey H. gave it a10:
I adored the original Speedball out on the ps1, and i kept playing it until i couldn't anymore (disc got abit too scratched) and i even played it more than other ps2 games like GTA, Gran Turismo, Devil May Cry etc. I love this new game, made it look really good and its available for the PC, so YEAH IT ROCKS!!!

Sebastian J. gave it a10:
As much fun as the original.

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Speedball 2 - Tournament

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What The Critics Said

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