Super Dodge Ball (NES)/Gameplay

Changes from the arcade

 * There are only three inner-court players as opposed to the four which appear in the arcade. There are still three outer-court players on each edge of the opposing team's box.  There are no replacement players for computer controlled teams.
 * There is no time limit as opposed to the three minute time limit in the arcade. There is also no penalty for holding on to the ball for long periods of time.  You may hold on to the ball and not use it to attack for as long as you like.
 * Players of the same type no longer have the same amount of health. Each player has a different amount of health according to his Energy stat.  The amount of energy remaining for the three inner-court players is shown at the top of the screen in the form of an energy meter.
 * There are two new countries, India and Russia, expanding the single player tournament to eight rounds, with a bonus ninth round against a mirror image shadow team if you defeat USSR without losing a single player.
 * There are six different player types instead of just four, and they are no longer distinguished by body type. Rather, they are distinguished by face type.  Every team is composed of exactly one case of each player type.  However, the same type of player on two different teams are not identical.
 * Not only are regular players capable of performing Power Shots, they each have one distinct Power Shot, and one distinct Aerial Power Shot. In addition, there are "Nice Shots" which are normal shots that do more damaged when performed correctly.

Modes
There are three modes of play in Super Dodge Ball. The first is World Cup Play. This is only for single players. A player takes control of the USA team (or Nekketsu high school on the Famicom), and must battle other teams from around the world in order to claim the championship. If the player succeeds in defeating a team, he or she advances to the next round. If the player loses, they are given the opportunity to continue and redo the losing battle.

The second mode is Versus Play. This mode is for two players. Each player chooses from among the nine different teams and faces off against each other in a battle. Press while choosing a team to see each players' statistics.

The third and final mode is Bean Ball. This mode is for one or two players (up to four on the Famicom). In this mode, each player takes control of one particular player on Team USA (or Nekketsu high school on the Famicom) in a free-for-all battle, where the winner is the last player left standing.

For World Cup Play and Bean Ball modes, the player must choose a difficulty level which dictates the computer controlled players' level of ability:
 * Easy: Easy opponents don't do a lot to get away from your throws and they rarely catch the ball. They don't rely on Power Shots, choosing to throw normal throws most of the time.
 * Normal: This difficulty is a balance between Easy and Difficult, with players doing a fair job at getting away from obvious attacks, attempting to catch the ball, and mixing in a few Power Shots among the normal throws.
 * Difficult: Difficult opponents actively get out of the way of your attacks, or catch them with great frequency. They will use Power Shots almost every occasion they get.

Before each round of play in World Cup Play or Versus Play, players are given the opportunity to move players around the court. The position change screen is shown to the right. This screen gives you the opportunity to ensure that players with particular Power Shots are available for use in the inner-court. Three players must be placed around specific edges of the outer-court. If you are in World Cup Play and choose to rearrange your characters, the computer will also rearrange the players, but there's no guarantee that the new arrangement will be any different from the previous arrangement. In this way, you can try to influence which computer-controlled opponents will occupy the inner-court.

Name Edit Mode
This feature can only be used in Famicom version. Press during mode selection will open a special screen where players can name their own team and members. The names will then be applied to whatever team going to be used. Player one and two have independent setups.

Stats
Every player in the game has seven stats which determine his skills and abilities. These stats are:

Types
There are six different types of players. One of each type is represented in every team.

Nice Shots
Nice Shots do twice as much damage as a regular shot. They are performed by executing a regular throw in just the right fashion, and can only be performed by player with very high Throw Technique values, particular Type F players. When performed correctly, the ball does not change in appearance, but the ball travels a little faster, and a whooshing sound can be heard as the ball flies through the air.


 * Jumping Nice Shot:To perform a jumping nice shot, the ball must be thrown right around the apex of a standing jump.
 * Dashing Nice Shot:To perform a dashing nice shot, the ball must be thrown when the player takes the ninth step of a dash to the line.
 * Jumping Dash Nice Shot: To perform a jumping dash nice shot, the player must jump after the ninth step of a dash to the line, and the ball must thrown right around the apex of the jump. This particular shot will do tremendous damage, far more than any Power Shot.

Power Shots
Power Shots are performed by running a short distance (about half the length of the inner-court) and then pressing and holding. If performed correctly, the ball will flash and its movement will take on different properties, depending on what type of Power Shot the player is capable of performing. Each team captain has their own unique Power Shot.

Note that in the Famicom version, the execution of Power Shots is much more precise, as the ball must be thrown on the seventh step of a dash.


 * The Blaster: When thrown, the ball flattens out and streaks across the screen. It doesn't stop after it hits an opponent, so it can actually blast through all three inner-court members if they're lined up just right.  It's typically easily picked up by one of your outer-court teammates, so that they can pass it back to you for another throw.
 * The Uppercut: This throw will send the ball straight towards an opponent. After it hits, it takes off into the air, bringing the opponent along for the ride.  Typically sends the ball into the outer-court.
 * The Wave: When thrown, the ball will move side to side in a wave motion. Once it strikes an opponent, it knocks them down to the ground.
 * The Stinger: This throw causes the ball to slowly seek out one of the opponents until it gets close enough to "sting" them, doing considerable damage.
 * The Tsunami: This throw differs from the Wave because it moves up and down instead of side to side. As a result, it is very difficult to dodge it by crouching, as it is still likely to strike the opponent.
 * The Warp: When thrown, the ball will disappear after travelling a short distance, only to reappear right in front of an opponent. This throw is difficult to catch without having experienced it first.
 * The Breaker: This throw travels in a straight line for a some time, before suddenly changing direction and moving towards one of the opponents. The ball might literally turn as much as 90 degrees.
 * The Boomerang: The most powerful Power Shot in the game, this throw sends the ball high into the air before dropping back down and hitting an opponent which such force that it sends them around the world.
 * The Ring: This Power Shot is only available for Paul (Type B) of team Pro All-Stars, performed by running exactly one step and shoot. This throw travels in a circular fashion while moving forward slowly, and blasts through opponents.  However, the power is weakest among all Power Shots.

Aerial Power Shots
Similar to Power Shots, Aerial Power Shots are performed by running a short distance, jumping by pressing, and then pressing and holding.


 * The Compressor: When thrown, the ball compresses into a small dense object. When it collides with an opponent, it suddenly expands, and sends the opponent flying Around The World.
 * The Accelerator:This ball will drop down to the ground, and zip along the floor of the court. Once on the ground, it moves faster and faster until it strikes an opponent.  It's actually more effective when thrown while running backwards since it will have more time to speed up.
 * The Spear: This is a fairly standard Aerial Power Shot that moves very quickly from the thrower to an opponent. Does a good deal of damage if it connects.
 * The Psycho: This is an odd throw that creates an illusion. Once the ball is released from the thrower, it appears to split up into three balls before merging back into one ball.  This can make it difficult to determine where the ball is actually going.
 * The Lightning: Similar to one of the enemy's Power Shots in the arcade version, this ball flies high into the sky before suddenly dropping down on the head of one opponent. Very difficult to catch unless thrown from farther away, but can be dodged by a good-timed crouching.
 * The Sidewinder: Arcing up and down like the Tsunami Power Shot, this throw can be rather difficult to catch, but it's also considerably harder to strike opponents with this throw, as it may often go over their heads.
 * The Pulse: Similar to the other enemy's Power Shot in the arcade version, this throw causes the ball to expand and contract as it flies through the air. Not as powerful as the Compressor.
 * The Slug: This throw is the most powerful Power Shot available. Once it leaves the thrower's hands, it moves at a surprisingly slow speed.  This slow speed can make it appear as though it is easy to catch.  However, if it connects with a player, it will send them flying Around The World.