Sinclair User
24th April 1992
Author: Paul Anglin
Publisher: The Hit Squad
Machine: Spectrum 128K
Published in Sinclair User #126
Cyberball
American football has got a little rough these days (well rougher) and so people like you and I have decided to stop playing and leave it up to enormous robots to entertain us. Oh yeah, and they thought a pigskin ball was a bit girlie so they decided to use a bomb instead.
This is basically American football (apart from the above changes) with a smaller pitch. Traditionally American football is bit complicated for us Brits to play (as well as relatively uninteresting) and Cyberball carries that tradition, but succeeds in making it worse.
It's nothing to do with the menus, which are actually very well set out. It's the game itself that provides the confusion. Both team look very much the same and the ball blends in perfectly with the background which is highly annoying. Also the responsiveness of the players is about equal to that of a crippled centipede.
Graphically Cyberball isn't terrible, it's just that the two team look very similar to each other and as the pitch also uses the same colours as the players and the ball the result total confusion. Sound is nothing amazing but it's okay. Unfortunately due to cofusing graphics and terrible responsiveness this game is an absolute nightmare to play and prolonged effort (if you can be bothered) really makes no odds. A disappointment.Label: Hit Squad Memory: 48K/128K Price: £3.99 Tape Reviewer: Paul Anglin
Overall Summary
Euggh what a horrible game. What a desperate thing to do to such a great game and sport. Cyberball has always been a bit of a problem to play. It's way too complicated and the graphics on this version just make it worse I'm afraid.
