Ballblazer for Atari 8-bit computers | Review

December 06, 2009 • Updated: Mar 11, 2025 - 08:41 PM

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Three minutes. Two players. One winner. That phrase sums up the spirit of this unique 3D space football simulator, released in 1985 by Lucasfilm Games for the Atari 8-bit.

Programmed by David LevineandPeter Langston, the action takes place in the year 3097 on the surface of an artificial asteroid in the binary star system Kalaxon and Kalamar, where the final of theBallblazer Interstellar Championship, "the simplest, fastest, most competitive sport in the known universe"; and whose dark roots go back to an ancient space war - the Great Madness - to become the king of games between all life forms.

On this occasion, for the first time a creature of theplanet Earth, with an enigmatic nameCrockett, will faceXarta, from the Minotaur System, in the final of the tournament to compete for the coveted title ofMasterblazer

BALLBLAZER

Posted by:Lucasfilm Games, 1987.
Gender:Sports, futuristic.
Extra:1 and 2 players, joystick.

CONFIGURATION

As we see thescreenIt is divided intotwo partsupper and lower, which corresponds to theperspectiveof thefirstandsecond player, respectively. Before starting to play, we must configure the game.

Byflaw, the game begins with a match betweentwo human opponentsin a time ofthree minutes(hence the motto with which we began the post). We can change the configuration with theOPTION key (F2)

With a first pressure toOPTIONis definedtimeof game, which is aboutone to nine minutes. PressingSELECT (F3)the values are changed.

We press againOPTIONto define thesecond player. The first option at hand is "Human" (another opponent in command No. 2). WithSELECTwe can change it toDroid 1 to Droid 9, which is the computer with adegree of difficultyon the rise.

A third pressure toOPTIONand we can define thefirst player, in a similar way to the previous case. As we see, each time we pass throughOPTIONFrom one variable to another, our selectionwill blink

This system allows us to programdemonstration matchesbetweenTwo Droidsof equal or different skill level - although the Interstellar Ballblazer Conference prohibits betting on such matches...

Once the game is configured to our liking, we pressSTART (F4)forbegin. With thespace barDuring the game apause; we will press it again to continue the game.

GAME SCREEN

InBallblazer, both players will move around the court aboard a ship - calledRotofoil- and they will try to score on the opposing goal a huge sphere of energy, calledPlasmorb

As we already mentioned, the screen is divided in two to show everyone's perspective in first person.The topcorresponds to thefirst player (1), whose ship is coloredpurple (3). Thelower, is the perspective of thesecond player (2)inorangeon(4)

HeRotofoil, your ship(3), with which you try to score thePlasmorb, moves at 50 meters per second. It is two meters high and 2.5 meters in diameter. In case you are interested, it weighs three tons.

Your vehicle issurroundedfor onepseudo magnetic energywhich at times takes the name ofBumpfield, PullfieldandPushfield, according to its interaction with the opposite Rotofoil (the first case) or thePlasmorb(in the second and third cases). This energy will help you take control of the ball and take it to the opposing goal.

HePlasmorb: a thousand-kilo ball of energy, floating two meters above the court.Yellowin abeginning, changes tocolor of the player who owns it (5)It initially moves between 450 to 600 meters per second.

The Court (Grid): With all the appearance of a chessboard, but with each square measuring five meters. It is made up of 55 squares long (275 meters) by 21 wide (105 meters), a total of 1155 squares. The court has acurvatureso that an object two meters high can be seen from a distance of 16 squares (80 meters). It is surrounded by aelectromagnetic barrier (Electroboundary)that keeps thePlasmorband to theRotofoilsinside it.

The arches (Goalbeams): facts of pure energy(6), are locatedin pairs at each end of the courtand it ismove from side to sideabout five meters per second.They beginwith an opening of12.5 meters, thatis reduced with each goal scored; so the space after seven annotations is 2.5 meters, with a consequent increase in difficulty.

By the way,at the center bar, is observed at thelefthescoreof thefirst player, represented byfive circlesthat are filled as you write down(7). To thecenter, heremaining timeof game(8). And to theright, hescoreof thesecond player (9)

GAMEPLAY DYNAMICS

Once you pressSTART, the ball is shot at half court. At the start of the game, you will find yourself at the other end of the court with thePlasmorbbouncing in the center, from side to side.Push the leverand focus on your half of the screen.Keep goinguntil you reach the ball.

YouRotofoil will rotatethe right or left if the ball goes out of sight. ThiseffectIt is calledrotosnap: the on-board computerrotates automaticallyyour ship in90 degree anglesuntil you look at thePlasmorb; or to the opposite goal once you capture the ball. You will know that you have made a turn around thesoundthat produces therotosnap

As we mentioned before, eachRotofoilIt is surrounded by an energy field that can attract or repel objects. It will be called:

Bumpfield: When you move without the Plasmorb, the force fieldrepelscollisions with other objects or the opposing Rotofoil.

Pullfield: Mode that is activated when thePlasmorbIt is about 7.5 meters and serves tocatch the ballautomatically. Once with the ball, the ship will turn (rotosnap) towards the opposite fence. Look for it to score.

Pushfield: It is activated when beingin possession of the Plasmorb and the fire button is pressed. Every timeyou shootthe Plasmorb, yourRotofoil backs off. You can also use thePushfieldforsteal the ballto your rival: get close to him and shoot when hePlasmorbis located within a range of ten meters, you will know that you are in thecorrect distancewhen listening to thelouder buzzing

RULES AND SCORING

Ballblazerwill grade your annotation withone, twoeitherthree pointsAccording to thedistancebetween youRotofoilandThe Goalbeams. So, you can carrydirectlyhePlasmorbthrough thegoalcontrary andonlyYou will receive aspot. If you score from aaverage distance, you will wincolon

To sign upthree points, you will need to run ashot over the horizonOver The Horizon - OTH shot); that is to say,you must not see the archesof the opponent when firing the Plasmorb.

To achieve this, make sure that thecounter fenceseaslightly visibleand shoot thePlasmorb, so that youship backs away-The score is based on your position when the Plasmorb crosses the goal. This way you can turn a two-point shot into a three-point shot!

Hegame is overwhen one of the two players scoresten consecutive goals; or istime is running outand the one who has wins the gamehighest scoreaccumulated (full circleswith the player's color).

Hecombined valueof scores between both playersnever exceedstheten points: whenallthecirclesof score arefull, a player cansteal points from himto his opponent by scoring more goals. For example, if the first player has nine points and the second player scores the next six goals, the latter will win by six to four.

The progression would be:

Player 1 -9goals
Player 2 -1goal = total10

Player 2 -2goals
Player 1 - goes down to8goals = total 10

Player 2 -3goals
Player 1 - goes down to7goals = total 10

Player 2 -4goals
Player 1 - goes down to6goals = total 10

Player 2 -5goals
Player 1 - goes down to5goals = total 10

Player 2 -6goals
Player 1 - goes down to4goals = total 10

To the10 secondsfor thetermof the game, an alarm is activatedcountdown. If at the end of time there is adraw, they go to aovertimeofsudden death-The one who scores first wins.

Hegame logowill change tocolorof theRotofoilof thewinnerand your opponent -if he lost-will turnin several rotosnaps in a row as a sign ofdefeat

STRATEGIES

Arboster Kipling, one of the ancientsMasterblazersand today governor of the Omega Colonies, identified differentattack and defense tactics

Corner Shot: Go to a corner and move your stick quickly to the right or left -depending on the position of the goal- and shoot. It will be very difficult for the opponent to block.
Another tactic against an opponent who "covers" the goal is to look for a corner, shoot, look for the rebound of the ball and shoot at goal.
To score more OTH shots, locate the opposing bow just as it appears slightly on the horizon, back up a bit and fire the Plasmorb, so that those two points become three.
If you are too close to the opposing Electroboundary for an OTH shot, fire the Plasmorb and pick it up on the rebound.
Don't shoot at the opponent's goal as soon as you have the ball.
When trying to take the ball away from your opponent, wait for the loudest buzz (maxing the buzz) before firing the Pushfield.
No one has ever scored a goal by standing still. Keep moving!
Try to score OTH shots at the beginning of the game, when the opponent's goal is larger.
Pushfield dribbling: Hold down the shoot button when you get close to the Plasmorb. Instead of grabbing it with your Pullfield - which uses 25% of your speed - just push the ball in front of you. Then catch it and score.
If the ball has been taken from you, do not stand directly behind your opponent. He may shoot the ball and push you away as he backs away from the Plasmorb and his fence.
Always try to fall on one side.
On the other hand, if you have an opponent right behind you, fire the Plasmorb so that your recoil pushes him further away. This will give you the advantage to recover the ball.
To block an enemy in the goal, take advantage of their screen and get between them and the Goalbeams.

BALLBLASTER

Ballblasterwas the name by which he was knownBallblazerduring hisdevelopment,in1983That year, somecopieswere released by Lucasfilm Games. Shortly after, they appearedpirated versionsin Bulletin Board Systems (BBS) of the United States and Europe.

This version -which is also available for the emulator-onlycould be played betweentwo humansNohadintro, neitherfractal musicand there was nottime option(you always played three minutes). It is the same one that I knew and was able to play with the few who understood the dynamics of the program.

Aseparate topicis themelodywhich enlivens the game, baptized by its composer as "Song of the GridPeter Langston, scheduled the baseline injazz keyon which the game improvises a song thatchanges eternally

By way ofanecdoteLangston recalls that a musician told him that the tune sounded as if he had composed itJohn Coltrane, one of theReferencesin the history ofAmerican jazz"I think that was the best compliment I could have received," he said.