82apps.com | "DESTROY ALL FANBOYS!"

If ever a game needed to be played, it’s this one. Robot Roller-Derby Disco Dodgeball was created by one guy and although it’s been in Steam’s Early Access program for a while, the quality of the game was astounding. Yes, it’s got that silly and catchy title working that hammer on your head, but once you actually see and then PLAY the game, it becomes hard to stop. Whether in solo play or online with friends or soon to be enemies, Disco Dodgeball is a total hoot. It’s only one of a handful of games I’ve played this month (hey, it’s been a BUSY February what with Toy Fair and a few other events), but it’s one that’s been stuck in my head since. Must be the disco tunes or something. And the visuals. And the gameplay.

Anyway, go get this NOW on Steam (it’s 20% off for a week!), then ring up a few friends and tell them to get it as well. That’s not quite a review, but it IS a recommendation.

I tend to avoid promoting many Early Access games because you never know if they’ll actually be completed and there’s nothing worse that getting thrilled over vaporware. Still, after my eyes rolled back in my head when my inbox showed me an email about Robot Roller-Derby Disco Dodgeball, I checked out the YouTube video and nearly fell off my chair laughing. But that’s actually a good thing in this case…

This one’s an instant classic because it’s pure insanity made by ONE guy and seems to have taken Steam by storm. This is what happens when you have time and talent to spare plus a great deal of focus on getting things right. I still dislike multiplayer gaming for a number of good reasons, but I’ll now need to try this out just for the new Arcade mode that’s just been added. The game is being constantly tweaked and according to the press release I got yesterday, has dethroned the mighty Counter-Strike as as the best rated multiplayer game on all of Steam.

Of course, I also have too many painful memories of playing dodgeball in grade school and junior high, so I’d gather my initial hesitation was warranted. I’m not averse to disco, although when it’s in a videogame, I get really awful flashbacks of Cyberdillo, an atrocious wreck of a game for the late, lamented 3DO. Fortunately, Disco Dodgeball plays like a faster-paced version of BattleSport mixed with multiplayer Quake set to some danceable tunes. If you’re bouncing up and down in your seat to the beat of those beats, ten bucks gets you in the door, there’s a no drink minimum and you can hang out as long as you like. If you do decide to grab this one, you may or may not run into yours truly. I still dislike playing online games, but this is one that may make me change my mind for a few minutes at least…