Super Dodge Ball

Super Dodge Ball brings dodgeball competition to the NES with the over-the-top, arcade-style energy typical of Technos Japan titles. The player leads one of the national teams through a tournament in which the goal is to eliminate opponents by hitting them with the ball, while your own players try to dodge incoming balls or catch them and throw them back with increased force. Each team member also has slightly different attributes, so team composition and positioning on the court matter.

The game builds on simple but effective special throws that individual team members can unleash once their energy gauge is charged – the ball then flies across the court trailing fire or producing other visually striking effects, giving what is otherwise a bare-bones dodgeball concept a flashy showpiece. The controls remain accessible even to newcomers, while battles against tougher opponents require correctly timed dodging and catching. A tournament progression between matches also gives the game a bit of single-player campaign structure, with the player gradually facing increasingly skilled national teams.

Super Dodge Ball became one of the beloved multiplayer titles of the NES era, offering fast, easy-to-grasp, and visually striking two-player matches decided more by reflexes and timing than by complex button combinations. That very accessibility still makes it a great choice for quick matches between friends today, one that even players unfamiliar with later entries in the series or similarly styled sports titles can appreciate.

Why play it: For its over-the-top take on dodgeball with spectacular special throws.