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Speedball 2 IBM PC MS-DOS 1991 Bitmap Brothers Robert Trevellyan


Speedball 2: Brutal Deluxe



The Bitmap Brothers released Speedball 2: Brutal Deluxe for IBM PC MS-DOS 2.1 in 1991. Speedball 2 was designed by Eric Matthews and programmed by Robert Trevellyan and Mike Montgomery. Speedball 2 graphics were drawn by Dan Malone. The Speedball 2 Nation 12 "Brutal Deluxe" soundtrack was composed by Simon Rogers.

Speedball 2 is the Bitmap Brothers' sequel to the original Speedball of 1988. Speedball 2 is notable for its accurate controls, multi-directionally scrolling pitch, smooth sprite-shifting and 2-player versus mode. Speedball 2 improved and expanded upon the audiovisuals and team-management features of the original Speedball; the sequel also plays much faster and smoother than the original.

Jumping up to catch a ball is much easier in Speedball 2 than it is in Speedball. Speedball 2 also added after-touch control (throw curve-balls).

The problem with single-player Speedball 2 is that it's too easy to farm wealth, purchase a top player, and then just bulldoze the opposition with that top player (a center-forward).
 
It is also too easy to electrify the ball and score or repeatedly employ bounce domes. And it is too easy to injure the opposition center forward and get him out of the game. The computer-controlled teams are not good at fighting for the score multiplier either.

That said, it is still a challenge to beat your highest scores and best stat-lines. And of course, there is 2-player mode.
 
Speedball 2 displays in 256-color VGA 320x200.

Speedball 2 requires an i8086 CPU clocked at 10 MHz and 640K RAM. Speedball 2 audio supports Sound Blaster, AdLib and Roland. A joystick is recommended. Speedball 2 was distributed on 2x 5.25" 360K DS DD diskettes or 1x 3.5" 720K DS DD diskette.

The Amiga and IBM PC versions are practically identical, and audiovisually superior to the Atari ST version. The Atari ST version lacks the star on the playing field as well. The ST/Amiga versions were released in 1990.

Speedball 2 Feature List


  • Run with ball, slide, slide tackle to get ball, punch to get ball, catch ball, throw ball (high and low) + after-touch control
  • 1x team to choose from: Brutal Deluxe (original Speedball 3x) 
  • 9x players on-pitch players per side (original Speedball only 5x)
  • Positions: Forwards, Mids, Backs, Goalies and Subs
  • Two halves lasting 90 seconds each
  • Sampled Speech (Get Ready! Ice Cream!)
  • 8-way player-sprite movement
  • 8-way scrolling pitch (original Speedball only 2-way)
  • Overhead highlight indicates player-unit  being controlled (based on proximity to ball)
  • League, Knockout, Cup and Practice modes of play (original Speedball only League and Knockout)
  • League has Team Manager mode
  • League, Fixtures, Results and Stat tables
  • 2-player simultaneous, versus computer or no opponent (practice)
  • Transferable players (Trades) and upgradeable players (Gym)
  • 8x player stats
  • Injuries (players are  stretchered off on RoboBots)
  • Save game per four matches
  • 2x Divisions and 16x computer-controlled teams
  • 21x different "power-up" tokens that can be collected during matches
  • Warp gate, bounce domes, electro-bounce, score multiplier, star board

cf.

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