The classic Amiga game on PC
Speedball 2: Brutal Deluxe is a remake of the Bitmap Brothers classic futuristic handball game on the Commodore Amiga from 1991.
Speedball 2: Brutal Deluxe is a brutal game where anything goes, and points are won from knockouts, not just goals. Each team wears a coat of armor and play within a metallic arena where players can pass, shoot and attack, while off the ball the same controls allow tackles and catches.
Points are won by scoring goals, knocking out opponents, and also by hitting bumpers, stars and ramps on the pitch. This gives the game and element of pinball to it, and means that focusing on goal scoring is never enough. This PC version is exactly the same as the original and features the classic sounds and ambiance (“Ice Cream! Ice Cream!”) from the original.
Unlike the Amiga version however, Speedball 2 Evolution offers more modes, such Tournament, League and Manager Mode. The controls are a bit awkward – sometimes you don’t know which player you are controlling but you can play multiplayer against friends which is great
Speedball 2 Brutal Deluxe is a great version of the classic Amiga game. Whether you were a big fan or not, its still an additive and unique sports game.
According to the game story, the first Speedball league (founded in 2095) fails due to violence and corruption. As the organization gave place to anarchy, the game is forced underground, but five years later, from one attempt to regain public interest, Speedball 2 is born. The game starts in 2105 as a new team Brutal Deluxe emerges.
Speedball 2 is one of Bitmap Brothers’ most successful titles and was released for several platforms including the Amiga, CD 32, Acorn Archimedes, IBM-PC, Atari ST, Commodore 64, Sega Mega Drive/Genesis, Master System, Game Boy and the Game Boy Advance. The first version was released in 1991, the final version ten years later.
Changes were made to the rules of the game, meaning that teams have 9 players on court rather than 6, and targets on the floor and walls can be hit for bonus points. The music, written by Simon Rogers and remixed and coded by Richard Joseph won the Golden Joystick award for best soundtrack.
