Nintendo World Report writes: "For those unfamiliar with the Super Dodgeball series, it began with Super Dodgeball on the NES in 1989. As part of the infamous Kunio-Kon series (which also included titles like River City Ransom and Renegade), it sparked several Japanese sequels but didn't rear its head in North America again until an unofficial sequel came out for the Game Boy Advance in 2000. Now, after eight years on the shelf, the series comes to the DS and returns to its roots, although it may be adhering to those roots a little too strongly. As a fan of the original Super Dodgeball on NES, I can vouch for the fact that this game brings back everything from the original game; the problem is that it doesn't bring much with it besides the original game.
Basically, Super Dodgeball Brawlers is a ridiculous form of dodgeball. There are two sides of the court and seven players to a team, but only four players are in play at any one time. The other three patrol the three boundaries of your opponent's side of the court. Each player has a certain amount of stamina that they lose every time they are hit. Once every player on a team is knocked out, it's game over. There are also special shots, weapons, and melee attacks that add to the mayhem and arcade feel."
Pros:
+Simple and fun gameplay
+Single card multiplayer is wonderful
+Customization
Cons:
-Little replayability
-No online
The action in SDB is slower than GameShark would have expected from a sequel over a decade in the making. Still, the expansive character creation, crazy Supershots, and the nods to River City Ransom make all the flaws seem like the needless nitpicking of an obsessed fanboy. Even if you have never played a Nekketsu game before, Super Dodgeball Brawlers deserves a place on your shelf. Considering the history of the series, this might be your last chance to live out those fantasies of dodgeball stardom.
GamingTrend writes: "I'm going to make a generalization here, but I would not be surprised if the majority of people reading this review were not considered popular in school. In fact, I would posit that most of us were nerds. I certainly was, which is part of the reason that I loved video games so much. I was pudgy and fairly un-athletic, which made me a fair target for bullies.
Why do I bring this up? Well, for many, Super Dodgeball Brawlers recalls the terrifying world of gym class, where all that protected you from getting hit in face by the school bullies (legally!) were your own trembling, weak hands. Needless to say, it was with trepidation that I walked into the world of Super Dodgeball Brawlers. At any moment, I expected one of those elementary-school thugs to leap out of the game and throw a hard rubber ball at my Hot Pockets."
Brawlers just isn't as fun as the original. It's certainly entertaining enough, and it offers plenty of detail for dedicated gamers to sink their teeth into. But will fans still be playing it two decades from now? Probably not. It's an acceptable rendition of a time-tested classic -- a little too complex to stand beside its classic inspiration, a little too primitive to stand up to contemporary releases, but still decent.
