Since the massive success of Street Fighter II - soon to be a major motion picture starring Jean-Claude Van Damme and his buns of steel - the fighting-game genre has become the me-too market of the '90s. To stand out these days, a beat-'em-up needs more than good game play: it also needs a gimmick. In Ballz, it's animated spherical figures.
Ballz is a one- or two-player game with a selection of eight fighters. (My personal faves are Boomer, a clown who can blow himself up, and Kronk, a loogie-hocking cave-man.) Only three play buttons are used, making the fighting moves less complex than other games; some players will hate this, but others (like me) won't mind.
Ballz features "morph moves" that let you change into other fighters, and an instant replay feature to view a match from various angles and distances. When you win, you get to play the game again as one of the super-powerful bosses.
Ignore the dreadfully silly title
Ballz for Sega Genesis and Super NES: US$59.95. Accolade: (800) 245 7744, +1 (408) 985 1700.
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