Retro Game Review: Ballblazer

Soccer in the future may look something like this.

Platform: Atari 7800 ProSystem

Released: 1984 (original)

Developer: Lucasfilm Games

Background: Ballblazer was the first video game developed by Lucasfilm, originally for Atari's 8-bit systems. It was a 1 or 2-player game in a 3D format. This was actually a futuristic "sports" game with simple rules: You took control of one of the rotofoils and attempted to grab the ball, or Plasmorb, with the invisible beam on the front. The idea was to put the Plasmorb through the opponent's goal, which moved back and forth horizontally across the baseline - placing it got you one point, while shooting it got you two. As you score more goals, the goal gets more and more narrow. The game ends when the clock expires or one player scores 10 goals. One of the features of Ballblazer seen in many of today's multiplayer games is split-screen action from two separate first-person views.

Graphics: 4.5/5

Keep in mind we're talking about the Atari 7800 here, so you're not going to get better graphics except for maybe Pole Position II or the 7800 version of Ms. Pac-Man, which is extremely close to the arcade version. One of the things you'll notice when playing Ballblazer is there's no screen flickering or anything like that.

Sound: 5/5

Hands-down the best music on any early Atari console game. I read somewhere a reviewer said it sounded like John Coltrane. It's not, but the jazzy tune that plays during the game is one of a kind. The sounds when you fire the ball or bump your opponent's rotofoil are very well executed, too.

Controls: 5/5

The controls are simple: The joystick moves you, the button fires the Plasmorb. When your opponent has the Plasmorb, you can press the button to try to steal it away.

Gameplay: 5/5

This game runs so smooth, you'd be surprised today it was being played on such an old system. And despite its simplicity, it's a lot of fun. While you can play against the computer, it's best when going up against one of your friends. There weren't many (if any) split-screen multiplayer games with first-person perspectives around at the time, so this game offered a unique gaming experience.

Overall: 4.875/5

In a nutshell, this game is fantastic. I spent many hours when I was younger playing Ballblazer. I used to use a third-party controller on my 7800 that looked like the yoke for a fighter jet with a trigger button for your index finger. I always thought the 7800 was an under appreciated system, especially since it had to compete with the original NES and Sega MasterSystem. But Ballblazer showed gamers the best Atari had to offer at the time. With a company like Lucasfilm developing the game, would you expect anything less?