Ballz
Encyclopedia
3D Ballz is a two player 3D
action
fighting game
for the Sega Mega Drive/Genesis
, the Super NES
(SNES) and the 3DO
. It was developed
by PF Magic
and published
by Accolade in 1994. The 3DO version was released as a director's cut
in 1995. Ballz offered three difficulty levels over a total of 21 matches. Its distinguishing quality was that each of the characters were composed completely of balls
, with a pseudo-3D look.
demanded the wording be changed for the SNES version. The SNES version of the game states, "...you gotta play Ballz," while the Sega version uses the original intro. The game was also notably bizarre for its lineup of fighters, which included a farting monkey, a jumping clown
, a sumo wrestler, a caveman
, a bodybuilder, a ballerina
, a rhinoceros, and a "superhero
".
. Accolade gave it little print advertising, but even the ads it did for the game gave little clue as to what type of game Ballz was. One just had an image of a Christmas Tree
made of balls and contained the caption "Tell your mom you want Ballz for Christmas."
The box of the Ballz, which depicted just a jumbled image of numerous balls, also gave little hint of the type of game it was. Some consumers likely assumed it was some sort of Tetris
clone or a similar puzzle game.
Balls was ranked seventh in a 2011 list of Top Ten Fighting Games We'd Like to Forget, compiled by Game Informer
. The author of the list, Dan Ryckert, widely criticized it for including what he claimed to be "sexual innuendo" references, and having its design representing more of a 2-D look.
3D computer graphics
3D computer graphics are graphics that use a three-dimensional representation of geometric data that is stored in the computer for the purposes of performing calculations and rendering 2D images...
action
Action game
Action game is a video game genre that emphasizes physical challenges, including hand–eye coordination and reaction-time. The genre includes diverse subgenres such as fighting games, shooter games, and platform games, which are widely considered the most important action games, though some...
fighting game
Fighting game
Fighting game is a video game genre where the player controls an on-screen character and engages in close combat with an opponent. These characters tend to be of equal power and fight matches consisting of several rounds, which take place in an arena. Players must master techniques such as...
for the Sega Mega Drive/Genesis
Sega Mega Drive
The Sega Genesis is a fourth-generation video game console developed and produced by Sega. It was originally released in Japan in 1988 as , then in North America in 1989 as Sega Genesis, and in Europe, Australia and other PAL regions in 1990 as Mega Drive. The reason for the two names is that...
, the Super NES
Super Nintendo Entertainment System
The Super Nintendo Entertainment System is a 16-bit video game console that was released by Nintendo in North America, Europe, Australasia , and South America between 1990 and 1993. In Japan and Southeast Asia, the system is called the , or SFC for short...
(SNES) and the 3DO
3DO Interactive Multiplayer
The 3DO Interactive Multiplayer is a video game console originally produced by Panasonic in 1993. Further renditions of the hardware were released in 1994 by Sanyo and Goldstar. The consoles were manufactured according to specifications created by The 3DO Company, and were originally designed by...
. It was developed
Video game developer
A video game developer is a software developer that creates video games. A developer may specialize in a certain video game console, such as Nintendo's Wii, Microsoft's Xbox 360, Sony's PlayStation 3, or may develop for a variety of systems, including personal computers.Most developers also...
by PF Magic
PF Magic
PF Magic was a video game developer founded in 1991 and located in San Francisco, California. Though it developed other types of video games, it was best known for its virtual pet games, such as Dogz and Catz. The company was able to make extra revenue by selling plush toys under the Petz trademark...
and published
Video game publisher
A video game publisher is a company that publishes video games that they have either developed internally or have had developed by a video game developer....
by Accolade in 1994. The 3DO version was released as a director's cut
Director's cut
A director's cut is a specially edited version of a film, and less often TV series, music video, commercials, comic book or video games, that is supposed to represent the director's own approved edit...
in 1995. Ballz offered three difficulty levels over a total of 21 matches. Its distinguishing quality was that each of the characters were composed completely of balls
SPHERES
The Synchronized Position Hold, Engage, Reorient Experimental Satellites experiment is a testbed consisting of three miniaturized satellites that can operate in a variety of environments, including inside the International Space Station...
, with a pseudo-3D look.
Development and publishing
The opening PF Magic developed for the game stated "To be the champion, you gotta have Ballz!" Due to its racy double-entendre ("balls" may be used as a slang term for testicles), NintendoNintendo
is a multinational corporation located in Kyoto, Japan. Founded on September 23, 1889 by Fusajiro Yamauchi, it produced handmade hanafuda cards. By 1963, the company had tried several small niche businesses, such as a cab company and a love hotel....
demanded the wording be changed for the SNES version. The SNES version of the game states, "...you gotta play Ballz," while the Sega version uses the original intro. The game was also notably bizarre for its lineup of fighters, which included a farting monkey, a jumping clown
Clown
Clowns are comic performers stereotypically characterized by the grotesque image of the circus clown's colored wigs, stylistic makeup, outlandish costumes, unusually large footwear, and red nose, which evolved to project their actions to large audiences. Other less grotesque styles have also...
, a sumo wrestler, a caveman
Caveman
A caveman or troglodyte is a stock character based upon widespread concepts of the way in which early prehistoric humans may have looked and behaved...
, a bodybuilder, a ballerina
Ballerina
A ballerina is a title used to describe a principal female professional ballet dancer in a large company; the male equivalent to this title is danseur or ballerino...
, a rhinoceros, and a "superhero
Superhero
A superhero is a type of stock character, possessing "extraordinary or superhuman powers", dedicated to protecting the public. Since the debut of the prototypical superhero Superman in 1938, stories of superheroes — ranging from brief episodic adventures to continuing years-long sagas —...
".
Fighters
These are the characters in the game's lineup of fighters:- Boomer: A clown from the circus. His air jumps and the tricks up his sleeves make him the most humorous fighter.
- Bruiser: A bodybuilder who gets quite a workout. His buffed-up body and powerful blows make him a formidable fighter.
- Crusher: An enraged rhinocerosRhinocerosRhinoceros , also known as rhino, is a group of five extant species of odd-toed ungulates in the family Rhinocerotidae. Two of these species are native to Africa and three to southern Asia....
who prefers to charge at his opponents directly. - Divine: A ballerina dancer who twirls around gracefully. She's the only female fighter and will sometimes give a spanking.
- Kronk: A caveman from the dawn of civilization. He uses his club to cut his opponents down to size and hits them like a baseball.
- Tsunami: A sumo wrestler who enjoys leaping on top of his opponents.
- Turbo: A superhero who glides along the arena and blows as strongly as a hurricane. He is the only fighter who uses ranged attacks.
- Yoko: A monkeyMonkeyA monkey is a primate, either an Old World monkey or a New World monkey. There are about 260 known living species of monkey. Many are arboreal, although there are species that live primarily on the ground, such as baboons. Monkeys are generally considered to be intelligent. Unlike apes, monkeys...
who often breaks wind. He enjoys ganging up on you and slapping you silly. - Zombie: Only appears in the director's cut version of the game. He stalks and slashes at his enemies.
Bosses
These are the bosses who appear in One-Player mode. Each boss defeated earns a different colored belt.- Guggler: The first boss in the game. Guggler is an ostrichOstrichThe Ostrich is one or two species of large flightless birds native to Africa, the only living member of the genus Struthio. Some analyses indicate that the Somali Ostrich may be better considered a full species apart from the Common Ostrich, but most taxonomists consider it to be a...
who pecks at her opponents and tosses them around with her beak. Her "jump and kick" ability also makes her a boss to be reckoned with. Defeating her wins the Red Belt. - Bounder: The second boss of the game. Bounder is a kangarooKangarooA kangaroo is a marsupial from the family Macropodidae . In common use the term is used to describe the largest species from this family, especially those of the genus Macropus, Red Kangaroo, Antilopine Kangaroo, Eastern Grey Kangaroo and Western Grey Kangaroo. Kangaroos are endemic to the country...
who wears boxing gloves and uses punches and kicks. He often jumps around and balances on his tail while using his legs to fling opponents across the arena. Defeating him wins the Green Belt. - T-Wrecks: The third boss in the game. T-Wrecks is a gigantic dinosaurDinosaurDinosaurs are a diverse group of animals of the clade and superorder Dinosauria. They were the dominant terrestrial vertebrates for over 160 million years, from the late Triassic period until the end of the Cretaceous , when the Cretaceous–Paleogene extinction event led to the extinction of...
who relies on an aggressive temperament as an attack. He will grab opponents in his jaws and creates devastating ground shock waves with a powerful tail. Defeating him wins the Blue Belt. - Lamprey: The fourth boss of the game. Lamprey is a mystical genieGenieJinn or genies are supernatural creatures in Arab folklore and Islamic teachings that occupy a parallel world to that of mankind. Together, jinn, humans and angels make up the three sentient creations of Allah. Religious sources say barely anything about them; however, the Qur'an mentions that...
whose swift attacks and magical powers make him a formiiidable foe. He possesses the ability to turn himself into any creature, such as a bullBullBull usually refers to an uncastrated adult male bovine.Bull may also refer to:-Entertainment:* Bull , an original show on the TNT Network* "Bull" , an episode of television series CSI: Crime Scene Investigation...
, a scorpionScorpionScorpions are predatory arthropod animals of the order Scorpiones within the class Arachnida. They have eight legs and are easily recognized by the pair of grasping claws and the narrow, segmented tail, often carried in a characteristic forward curve over the back, ending with a venomous stinger...
, or a snakeSnakeSnakes are elongate, legless, carnivorous reptiles of the suborder Serpentes that can be distinguished from legless lizards by their lack of eyelids and external ears. Like all squamates, snakes are ectothermic, amniote vertebrates covered in overlapping scales...
. Defeating him wins the Black Belt. - The Jester: The ultimate boss. The Jester is the one who challenged the fighters to duel in the tournament at the start. He dons a black-and-white outfit and can be seen juggling balls in the opening. As the final boss, he is the most difficult character to beat. He can disassemble himself and move about the floor, and has physical attacks are very strong. The damage he does can take off much of the player's health. After being defeated for the first time, he reassembles and comes back for more. When the Jester finally falls, he grants the fighter's wish - to play as the bosses
Reception
Ballz did relatively poorly in the marketplace. Some attribute this to botched marketingMarketing
Marketing is the process used to determine what products or services may be of interest to customers, and the strategy to use in sales, communications and business development. It generates the strategy that underlies sales techniques, business communication, and business developments...
. Accolade gave it little print advertising, but even the ads it did for the game gave little clue as to what type of game Ballz was. One just had an image of a Christmas Tree
Christmas tree
The Christmas tree is a decorated evergreen coniferous tree, real or artificial, and a tradition associated with the celebration of Christmas. The tradition of decorating an evergreen tree at Christmas started in Livonia and Germany in the 16th century...
made of balls and contained the caption "Tell your mom you want Ballz for Christmas."
The box of the Ballz, which depicted just a jumbled image of numerous balls, also gave little hint of the type of game it was. Some consumers likely assumed it was some sort of Tetris
Tetris
Tetris is a puzzle video game originally designed and programmed by Alexey Pajitnov in the Soviet Union. It was released on June 6, 1984, while he was working for the Dorodnicyn Computing Centre of the Academy of Science of the USSR in Moscow, Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic...
clone or a similar puzzle game.
Balls was ranked seventh in a 2011 list of Top Ten Fighting Games We'd Like to Forget, compiled by Game Informer
Game Informer
Game Informer is an American-based monthly magazine featuring articles, news, strategy, and reviews of popular video games and associated consoles. It was formed in August 1991, when FuncoLand started publishing a six-page magazine, free in all its retail locations...
. The author of the list, Dan Ryckert, widely criticized it for including what he claimed to be "sexual innuendo" references, and having its design representing more of a 2-D look.
Games in the series
- Ballz 3D
- Ballz 3D: The Battle Of The Ballz (MegaDrive version of Ballz 3D for Genesis)
- Ballz: The Director's Cut
See also
- Dogz - another PF Magic game featuring dogs primarily composed of balls
- CatzCatzCatz is a commune in the Manche department in Normandy in north-western France....
- another PF Magic game featuring cats primarily composed of balls - OddballzOddballzOddballz is a virtual pet game created by PF Magic in 1996 as an alternative to their Dogz and Catz titles. It comes with a free Starter Kit demo for the players' friends, that includes a screensaver, the Oddballz Web Fun Pack of clipart, and seven of the thirteen available official breedz.The game...
- another PF Magic game featuring characters primarily composed of balls