EIEIO 08: Hands-on with Pirates vs. Ninjas Dodgeball

by JC Fletcher { Mar 13th 2008 at 4:27AM }

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I'm a big fan of the Super Dodgeball games, and of the Kunio series in general. I played tons of dodgeball on the NES and GBA, and I've been watching the development of the DS game with more than enthusiasm. So when I first heard about the Xbox Live Arcade Pirates vs. Ninjas Dodgeball, I was very curious about a non-Technos take on the sport; what would Blazing Lizard do to distinguish their game from what seems like the final word in dodgeball games? Besides filling it full of Internet memes, of course.

Surprisingly, Pirates vs. Ninjas Dodgeball has very little in common with Technos' masterpiece. Aside from the fact that pudgy characters throw balls at each other, the two games play almost totally differently. They might as well represent two totally different sports.

Gallery: Pirates vs. Ninjas Dodgeball

Unlike Super Dodgeball, there are no court boundaries in Pirates vs. Ninjas. Teams are not restricted to one side of the court, but are free to roam around. In addition, there are at most four players per team (online, with two per team offline). There aren't any support players on the sides like there are in Super Dodgeball. This simple removal of the line between teams changes the gameplay significantly. It is, in fact, the catalyst for almost every difference between the two games. No matter where the ball lands, it's fair game for any player on the court. There's no back-and-forth; every single shot is open. Someone really awesome at Dodgeball could completely dominate the game. Super Dodgeball has a similar mode called Bean Ball, but that lacks any team structure.

Because the players are now able to compete for the ball, they now need combat abilities. Beating on another player dizzies them, delaying their run for the ball. It doesn't hurt, though -- only a hit from a dodgeball can do that. The teams all have different attributes, as well: ninjas are faster, and zombies have stronger defenses. Each character, in addition, has a special move that is activated with the Y button. Samantha on the Pirate team can "charm" another character temporarily, switching them to her team. Hideki the (confusingly robotic) ninja can activate stealth mode, just like Metal Gear Solid's Grey Fox, who he looks exactly like.

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In addition to the combat, the change in layout means that aiming is much harder. In the Super Dodgeball games, aiming is mostly automatic: the ball basically hits whoever is closest to you on the other side. In Pirates vs. Ninjas, if you're moving (which is all the time) you have to aim your shots manually. For me, this meant that I could never get a good shot in ever, unless I just passed to an AI teammate.

The game is expected to be released this month, but it can be difficult to nail down XBLA releases precisely. It'll definitely be the only game to take full advantage of the hilarity of the pirates vs. ninjas fad whenever it does.

Tags: blazing-lizard, dodgeball, eieio, gamecock, pirates-vs-ninjas, sports

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

xeleion @ Mar 13th 2008 5:00AM

Just for the record:

Ninjas > Pirates.

That is all.

shoeshine @ Mar 13th 2008 5:54AM

Like fun they are. Pirates are waaaaay cooler than ninjas.

And for the record: This is honestly the worst hands on impression I have ever seen Joystiq put out. And that's a very hard thing to pull off. Here I will show you a summary of this hands on posting: Hey guys, I like Super Dodgeball. That game is fun. This game sucks because it isn't like Super Dodgeball, my very favoritest game. Did I mention Super Dodgeball? I did? Well good, because that game is fun. So much fun. Not as fun as Super Dodgeball, but damn near it. Oh wait, I was supposed to talk about Pirates vs. Ninjas dodgeball? That game sucks. It's nowhere near as dodgeballtastic as Super Dodgeball is. Super Dodgeball is so much fun it's like sex on a cookie...where was I? Oh right, Super Dodgeball. I could play that game for hours. Not like that crappy Pirates vs. Ninjas Dodgeball game I tried. It didn't even aim your shots for you. Can you imagine that? Super Dodgeball is soooooooooooooooooooooooooo much better. Super Dodgeball is Super.

SoulBlade @ Mar 13th 2008 11:12AM

@shoeshine:

best post ever.

hvnlysoldr @ Mar 29th 2008 12:50PM

Pirates may be cooler but Ninjas are fiercer killers.

RandomPerson @ Mar 13th 2008 7:07AM

I thought the review was fine.

He said it was DIFFERENT, not that it was WORSE.

So calm the fuck down.

Player1 @ Mar 13th 2008 10:34AM

Umm, perhaps you missed this part: "I could never get a good shot in ever, unless I just passed to an AI teammate."

That sounds pretty bad to me.

xeleion @ Mar 13th 2008 3:56PM

Man, hands-on time does not mean he had time to master the game; maybe it takes a little practice to nail some good shots. Why y'all hatin'?

Courtney @ Mar 13th 2008 6:00PM

My impression of the piece was that he was so expecting something like Super Dodgeball, that when PvNDB wasn't that, he didn't know how to take it.

I also have ridiculously fond memories of Super Dodgeball, which I admit have fueled my anticipation of this game.

Please be a fun game....please.

T @ Mar 13th 2008 8:34AM

My only complaint about a game playing off the Ninja v. Pirates meme (is that correct term usage?) is that it essentially means the joke has faded/died.

Like when Sportscenter annoucers start using "pwn" (yes...they say it "pone"), or when Jessica Simpson started marketing herself as a moron. Or that Chuck Norris Mountain Dew commericial.

Once the various industries try to sell a joke such as this, it's a sign that it's time for it to die.